Dangan Ronpa: Encore of Despair
by Unify
Summary: With the escape of the 78th class of Hope's Peak Academy, the abandoned building should have been left to rot. But that would have been a waste, wouldn't it? Closed SYOC.
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

A figure shrouded in shadow reclined in their seat, taking in the mass of screens laid out before them.

They could have laughed, staring at the projected images of deserted halls. It was almost too easy, really. It had taken minimal effort to restore the academy to working order, and the last of the... participants were to be rounded up in the next few days.

It was not only the building that had remained intact, either. The memory-altering technology Enoshima had left behind was even still there, and it was in perfect working order! All it took was one simple, non invasive procedure and the long years of living in a world ravaged by despair would disappear. Poof! Gone, in an instant.

They sighed happily. Modern technology really was a wonderful thing.

The scene was set, and in only a few days now the game of mutual killing could begin anew. The first game may have failed to stamp out the remnants of hope in the world, but it didn't matter in the end.

Like all good games, _this_ one had plenty of replay value.

* * *

**With that terribly short prologue out of the way, let's talk OCs.**

**I'm looking for 15 characters total - 7 male, 8 female because I will be naughty and include one of my own - for this story. As this takes place in Japan, I would like for the OCs to be Japanese (edit: the role of 'token foreigner' has been filled), and the protagonist will be whoever I think is the most interesting.**

**Be warned: If I think your character is too Mary Sue-ish, I reserve the right to reject it.**

**Please use the form below, and PM it to me! I will put another copy of the form on my profile if you are lazy like me and you don't want to type it out.**

**One last thing - I can't guarantee I can stick 100% to your character (especially in the victim/culprit department), although I will do my best.**

**UPDATE: 16/16 slots have now been filled, so we now have our full roster! Thank you to everyone who submitted OCs, and the first chapter should be up in the next day or two. The protagonist has also been decided - Hayashi Kuroda.**

**Male Students (8/8)**

**- Hatakeda Izanagi: SHSL Prison Warden**

**- Izuki Shunari: SHSL Track Player**

**- Matsudo Takao: SHSL Doctor**

**- Kangaeru Hisoka: SHSL Psychologist**

**- Kosaka Ichigo: SHSL Story Writer**

**- Masaoka Kioshi: SHSL Hunter**

**- Yoshikawa Daisuki: SHSL Graffiti Artist**

**- Hayashi Kuroda: SHSL Engineer**

**Female Students (8/8)**

**- Miyuki Saito: SHSL Violinist**

**- Kato Miharu: SHSL Trivia Champion**

**- Rouleau Aurora: SHSL Quarterback**

**- Tsukasa Erika: SHSL Logician**

**- Mayaka Tomoe: SHSL Pyrotechnist**

**- Takahashi Haruna: SHSL Soccer Player**

**- Honda Akemi: SHSL Astronomer**

**- Suzuki Rei: SHSL Equestrian**

* * *

SYOC Form

Name (Japanese name order please!):

Gender:

SHSL:

Physical Features:

Clothing:

Personality:

Background:

Is your character likely to be the Mastermind?:

Victim or Culprit:

Role in Trials:

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Biggest Secret:

3 lines of Sample Dialogue (Optional):


	2. Chapter 2 - Meet the Students

**I realised I use a couple of weird terms describing some of the clothing, so I'll quickly explain them here; a saltire is a fancy word for an x-shaped cross, and a salopette skirt can basically be described as an 'overall skirt'. Google it!**

* * *

_I am **Hayashi Kuroda**, the so-called **Super High School Level Engineer**. I'm part of the 79th class of Hope's Peak Academy, and today was supposed to be my first day of school._

"...ake up..."

_... _

_But... where am I...?_

"Hey... Are you awake...?"

Finally brought into consciousness by someone gently shaking him, Kuroda opened his eyes to see a pair of intense blue eyes staring back at him.

Yelping in surprise he jerked backwards away from the crouched man, who had stuck his face uncomfortably close. The man straightened up to full height and crossed his arms, staring down at Kuroda with an expression of vague annoyance.

Sporting short, spiky dark grey hair, the man was dressed entirely in black save for the small gold buttons adorning his imposing uniform jacket, and glimpses of a red shirt visible at the end of his sleeves.

"So, you're finally up. It took you long enough." The man spoke, and from where Kuroda sat his mouth was obscured from sight by the jacket's huge collar.

"Who the hell are you? What's going on here!?"

Uncrossing his arms, the man somehow managed to stand up even straighter than before. "I am **Hatakeda Izanagi**, of Hope's Peak Academy class 79."

**HATAKEDA IZANAGI**

**Super High School Level Prison Warden**

...Now he thought about it, the name did seem familiar. The famous prison warden, known for being able to transform even the most dangerous of prisoners into docile, obedient inmates. He didn't know for sure, but he wouldn't have been surprised if the man standing before him had been behind the recently announced changes to the prison system.

"You are Hayashi," Izanagi continued. "The engineer, correct?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"Please, get acquainted with your classmates." His request was nicely worded, but it was clear it was an order. "Now everyone is awake, I will investigate what has happened to our teacher."

Without waiting for a response Izanagi turned away, crossing the room and disappearing through the doorway.

Figuring it would be best to follow the man's orders - there was little else to do anyway - Kuroda looked around: it was fairly typical for a school classroom, except for a series of large metal plates which were placed at regular intervals along one wall.

He noted that the other students in the room were either standing around talking in small groups, or sitting off by themselves in one of the many desks that took up the bulk of the classroom.

Not sure where to start, he decided to go with the person closest to him - a tall, thin student currently hunched over their desk, wearing a navy blue jumper, black jeans and dark blue tennis shoes.

As he approached them, they stopped what they were doing - writing something down in a dark blue notebook - and turned in their seat to face him.

Thanks to their jumper hood being pulled up it had not been entirely clear as to their gender, but looking at their face it was clearly a boy, with black hair that fell over his dark blue eyes a little.

"Hey there... I'm Hayashi Kuroda." He introduced himself with a friendly smile. "What's your name?"

"...**Kosaka Ichigo**." The male replied, a little reluctantly. "I'm a writer."

**KOSAKA ICHIGO**

**Super High School Level Story Writer**

Kuroda frowned a little. He had definitely heard of a high school-aged author who was extremely popular at the moment, but he was _sure_ it wasn't this guy. Surely the school couldn't have invited the wrong person?

"Um... Isn't there another Super High School Level Wri-"

"That's me. I write under a pen name." Ichigo interrupted curtly. "Please, leave me alone."

"Well, alright... It was nice meeting you." Kuroda began to move away when he heard a sigh, and glanced back to see that Ichigo had already returned to scribbling rapidly into his notebook.

Curiously, he could have sworn he saw a look of disappointment on the writer's face, but he brushed it off - the man had made it clear that he had wanted to be alone.

He headed over to the next student, this time a girl sitting a couple of seats away with brown hair worn in a ponytail, leaning on the desk and supporting her head with her hand. Dressed in a red and brown uniform with knee high black socks and white shoes, unlike Ichigo she seemed to be content simply staring off into space.

Although she appeared to be spacing out and did not move as he approached, he noticed her brown eyes shift towards him and once he came close she began speaking before he could say anything.

"I know you... You're Hayashi Kuroda. I'm **Kato Miharu**."

**KATO MIHARU**

**Super High School Level Trivia Champion**

He was not one for game shows, but even he had heard of her - she was filthy rich from holding multiple record-breaking win streaks on various trivia shows. Honestly, it was a miracle that none of them had barred her from competing by now.

"Nice to meet you..." With a small nod, she adjusted her glasses and resumed staring into the distance. The girl may have been a master of general knowledge, but she clearly wasn't much of a talker.

Deciding not to bother Miharu any longer, Kuroda started to walk towards a trio of students animatedly chatting at the aisle desks, sitting on anything but the chairs.

From a glance at their bodies it was clear all of them were sportsmen, and Kuroda immediately recognised two of the three - the girl with long, wavy dark blue hair coloured with white and black streaks and the boy with layered black hair with red highlights on the bangs; they were Takahashi Haruna and Izuki Shunari. The former wore a white sailor girl uniform adorned with a brown ribbon, and a brown skirt while the latter was wearing a navy jersey under a white warmer jacket with the sleeves rolled up, white track pants, black and blue running shoes and a pair of white rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

A soccer player and a runner respectively, the two of them were both world famous for their skills and they were unrivalled in their chosen sports. The other girl was a foreign student he didn't recognise, and he briefly wondered what kind of sport she played - she certainly looked like she was stronger than most of the guys here.

Spotting him walk over, Shunari called out to him.

"Hey, someone's finally awake." The runner shot him a friendly grin. "You're Kuroda, yeah? The name's **Izuki Shunari**."

**IZUKI SHUNARI**

**Super High School Level Track Player**

Due to a phase a few years ago where he got really into running, Kuroda was very familiar with Shunari, who had won many competitions both nationally and internationally. Nowadays he did not follow the runner as closely, but still tuned in to watch his big tournaments.

"Yeah, that's me... You're the 'Sprint Prince', right?" He replied, receiving a nod from the male. "Though I'm a little surprised you know my name..."

"We had no choice." Haruna said with a laugh. "That Izanagi guy was yelling your name for a good ten minutes before you finally woke up. I'm **Takahashi Haruna**, by the way."

**TAKAHASHI HARUNA**

**Super High School Level Soccer Player**

World famous for her soccer skills, Haruna was another sportsman that Kuroda followed with interest despite never really being interested in playing the sport itself. He could vaguely recall old stories about her allegedly attacking teammates, but he didn't remember the details.

"Yeah, I've heard of you guys... who hasn't? I watch both of you compete a lot." Kuroda confessed.

"No one recognises me... Hmph!" The other girl huffed, frowning and putting her hands on her hips. "I guess that's what you get for being an exchange student."

An exchange student? That did make sense - she was clearly an American, after all.

"Ah! Where are my manners!?" She exclaimed. "I'm **Rouleau Aurora**, and I'm a quarterback! It's nice to meet you!"

**ROULEAU AURORA**

**Super High School Level Quarterback**

Aurora had an athletic and slightly muscular body, a figure which seemed at odds with her doll like face and sunny blonde hair pulled back into a loose, messy ponytail, and she was wearing a light blue football jersey with red stripes and '32' emblazoned on it in large white numbers, black gym shorts, white tennis shoes and a black fingerless glove on her left hand. Her name and profession were unfamiliar to him, but he figured that if she managed to get invited to Hope's Peak Academy then she must have been extremely good at what she does.

"Uh, what's a quarterback...?"

"It's a football position, of course!" She gasped at the blank look he gave her. "You... you don't know about american football!?" Kuroda shook his head.

"You have no idea what you've been missing out on - it's great! I'll tell you all about it some time!" Aurora said excitedly. "Not now, though. You should probably go talk to the others before Izanagi gets back..."

"Oh, yeah..." He had momentarily forgotten he was supposed to talk to everyone, and quickly excused himself from the conversation to get moving. A verbal lashing from a fellow classmate would not be the greatest start to the school year.

He walked further up the class room, heading over to greet the two girls who were standing close to the classroom's door. Spotting him come closer the girl on the right gave him a shy smile; she was a very short girl with blue eyes and sandy blonde hair worn in a braid, wearing a button down white blouse, a knee length denim skirt and boots.

As he approached, however, it was the grey-eyed girl on the left - a lightly tanned girl with black wavy hair tied into a loose ponytail wearing a light purple salopette skirt over a white blouse with a pale blue tie decorated with a small golden crescent moon, a dark blue blazer, white knee high socks and black flats - who spoke first.

"Making the rounds, eh? If it makes you feel better, he made everyone go around introducing themselves." She said warmly. "He's a bit of a slavedriver, that man... I should have expected it, considering he's a prison warden."

"Is he really that bad?" Izanagi had certainly been a bit demanding, but from their brief conversation the warden hadn't seemed _that_ terrible.

"He's definitely stricter than anyone else I've met - a real tyrant. Hopefully we can mellow him out before he becomes a dictator." She replied. "Oh, before I forget... I'm **Honda Akemi**."

**HONDA AKEMI**

**Super High School Level Astronomer**

That was a name he recognised - Akemi's talent for discovering new stars, comets and solar systems regularly placed her on the front page of the newspaper.

"Y-you shouldn't call him that, Akemi. I-I think that he was very helpful, getting everyone organised when we woke up here..." The other girl protested.

"When you put it that way, I suppose you have a point." The astronomer conceded. "Maybe he really does have our best interests at heart. At any rate, you should probably introduce yourself."

"O-Oh, right. My name is **Suzuki Rei**... I'm an equestrian."

**SUZUKI REI**

**Super High School Level Equestrian**

Rei was equally as famous as her horse Tsuki in the equestrian world, and the two of them had won many, many tournaments together. Though she preferred more performing oriented types of competition, Kuroda seemed to remember her being a champion of flat racing and steeplechase as well.

"It's nice to meet both of you." There was a brief moment of silence before Rei suddenly spoke again.

"I wonder where all students from the other classes are... It feels like we're the only ones around." She said, hugging herself lightly out of nervousness. "I wish Tsuki was here... I-I don't like this place at all..."

Feeling a little bad for her, Kuroda tried to reassure her despite knowing he wasn't that great with words. "Don't worry, I'm sure there's a good explanation for all of this." Rei nodded in response, but didn't seem awfully convinced.

Oh well. It had been worth a try, at least.

"Well anyway, I should go meet the rest of the students... I'll talk you guys later." Figuring it was probably time to move on, he bid them goodbye.

"Okay then... It was nice talking to you."

Leaving Akemi and Rei, he approached the next group of three students standing and talking up the front of the room near the whiteboard.

His attention was immediately caught by one of the males - a tanned man with brown eyes and shoulder length black hair in a ponytail, wearing a black suit under a white doctor's coat - due to his impressive height: he stood just over a head higher than the girl he was speaking to and was noticeably taller than the other male in the conversation, who was pretty tall in his own right.

"Hello... I'm Hayashi Kuroda." He introduced himself to the trio.

The girl turned to face Kuroda, taking care not to mess up her perfectly styled hair - wavy, red-brown hair tied with a sandy coloured ribbon into a high ponytail that fell over her shoulder and a long side fringe carefully brushed so it did not cover her purple eyes.

She was wearing an ornate deep purple blazer and puffy double layered skirt, both adorned with sandy coloured ruffles and a red saltire motif including a large cross decorated with a purple jewel in place of a tie on her dress shirt, as well as black stockings and red mary jane heels. Peculiarly, the lower layer of her skirt had what only could be described as a leg window - as if someone had cut out a section of the skirt - that displayed a generous amount of thigh and also showed that her stockings were held up by garters.

"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you... I go by many titles, but you may refer to me as Super High School Level Logician **Tsukasa Erika**." She said politely.

**TSUKASA ERIKA**

**Super High School Level Logician**

He wasn't sure what exactly being a logician entailed, but he knew the girl was incredibly smart - she seemed to win awards for academic excellence in whatever subjects she chose to study.

"It is good to see you finally awake." Erika continued to speak, although this time Kuroda got the distinct impression she was not being sincere. "I was starting to think you had died... However interesting that may have been, it would have made for an awfully solemn start to the year."

"Thanks... I think."

"Kuroda's oversleeping was unusual, wasn't it?" The tall man chipped in. "If you think you have a problem, come visit me for a check up."

Kuroda had no intention of accepting the offer, but he decided he should probably figure out who he was talking to. "Sorry, but... who are you?"

"Me? I'm just an honest guy... My name is **Matsuda Takao**. Oh, and I work as a doctor..."

**MATSUDA TAKAO**

**Super High School Level Doctor**

Matsuda Takao... Made famous by his skill in treating all kinds of disease, and extremely popular among patients for his bedside manner. Kuroda had never really been around the health system enough to know much about him, but he had heard nothing but praise for the doctor.

"Well, it's kind of you to offer, but I think I'll be fine..." Takao shrugged good naturedly, but the other man in the group spoke up with a smile.

"Oversleeping is a symptom of many disorders; depression, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis... Are you really sure?"

He was quite thin, with black hair with bangs, black eyes and was wearing a white dress shirt with a Rorschach inkblot design on the back, loose grey pants and a watch. He was not wearing glasses, although he seemed to be carrying a glasses case with him.

"Ah, I should introduce myself properly. I am **Kangaeru Hisoka**."

**KANGAERU HISOKA**

**Super High School Level Psychologist**

Hisoka was well known for having an exceptional understanding of the field of psychology, and as far as Kuroda knew, he had an unprecedented rate of successful diagnoses and treatment of all kinds of mental illness.

"Nice to meet you..." More importantly, he seemed to have a point. Maybe a checkup wasn't such a bad idea...

"It's rude to scare people like that, Hisoka." Takao scolded the psychologist gently before turning to address Kuroda. "Don't worry, you don't seem to be suffering from any of those ailments."

"Oh, good." They talked a little more, but soon Kuroda felt that he needed to move on.

Once he had left the conversation with Erika, Takao and Hisoka he moved to talk to a pair of students sitting in the front row, but before he could he heard someone call out his name.

"Yo, Kuroda." He turned to see that a fierce looking man standing over in the corner by one of the strange metal plates had called out to him. Tall and muscular with short hair that had been dyed red, he was wearing a black sleeveless shirt, black leather pants with small chains hanging out of the pockets and black combat boots. As he walked over, he noticed the tattoos prominently inked onto the man's arms; a red dragon on his right arm, and a skull surrounded by flames on his left.

"You're an engineer, right?" The male jabbed his thumb in the general direction of the metal plate. "What the hell is this thing made out of?"

"I-I'm not sure, let me check..." He replied, taken off guard by the sudden question. "Sorry, what was your name...?"

"**Yoshikawa Daisuki**. I'm from the Red Dragons."

**YOSHIKAWA DAISUKI**

**Super High School Level Graffiti Artist**

Kuroda had never met Daisuki personally, but knew that he was one of the ringleaders of the Red Dragons, a gang firmly in the public eye thanks to their high profile stunts which usually involved covering various official buildings in magnificent graffiti art. Despite the illegal nature of his work, it couldn't be denied that the work of him and his gang looked pretty damn good.

"Well? Are you going to tell me what it's made of or what?" The man said impatiently.

"R-right, I'll get on that... Give me a minute." Kuroda obediently walked up to the strange plate, tapping it a few times to confirm his suspicions. "This is... heavily reinforced steel, I believe."

Daisuki turned to address his companion, a skinny girl with dirty blonde hair wearing a pale purple t-shirt, jean shorts and red converse sneakers and had what appeared to be some kind of coat neatly folded in her arms. Although she was by no means short, Kuroda noticed the girl seemed rather small standing next to the graffiti artist. "Can you get through it?"

"Reinforced steel? Well, if there are weak points..." She stepped past Kuroda as she spoke to examine the plate herself. "Oh, I don't think I've introduced myself. I'm **Mayaka Tomoe**, and I'm a pyrotechnist. Nice to meet you, Kuroda!"

**MAYAKA TOMOE**

**Super High School Level Pyrotechnist**

Even as an engineer Kuroda had not dabbled much in pyrotechnics, but he had heard of Tomoe from time to time - she had made a lot of different advances in her field, including making a new type of firecracker that lasted twice as long as current models.

"Nice to meet you, too..." He watched her curiously as she carefully checked over the entire plate, paying extra attention to where the huge bolts were attached.

"There are no faults... this is very good quality." She concluded, adjusting the position of the goggles currently sitting on her head. "You'll need high-grade explosives to blast through this stuff."

"Tch... You can make something, can't you?"

"If you bring me the right materials, I could whip up my speciality - the Super Duper Explosive Charge!" She replied brightly. "Problem is, about 80% of the ingredients are illegal..."

"If you don't mind me asking... Why are you trying to get through these plates?" Kuroda asked cautiously.

"To see what's on the other side..." Daisuki replied. "Or did you not notice what's missing from the classroom?"

Kuroda looked around again, realising what the graffiti artist meant - the classroom was well lit, but there didn't seem to be any windows around.

"You think those plates are covering windows?"

"Yes, that's our theory." Tomoe confirmed. "But we'll never know if we can't get through them."

"How about the bolts?" Daisuki ventured, after a thoughtful pause. "If we got a clamp, we might be able to unscrew them..."

Deciding now was a good time to slip away Kuroda left the two of them to their discussion, and he went to talk to the last two people in the room; a pair of short students - one girl, one boy - sitting in the desks in the front row.

As he walked, he took in their appearances; the boy was quite well dressed, wearing a black vest over a white dress shirt, black dress pants and black dress shoes. The formal ensemble made a strange contrast with the black beanie that covered most of his blond hair, but Kuroda thought it suited him.

The girl had chestnut brown curly hair in two low pigtails, and was wearing a dark red tartan miniskirt with suspenders attached and a cream coloured lolita blouse with full sleeves and a black ribbon tied in a bow at the high collar, complemented by knee high socks and black victorian style boots.

As he got close both of them they turned their attention towards him. Making an imaginary gun with his hand, the male pointed at Kuroda's chest and 'fired'.

"Bang!" He grinned, but then looked a little bit sheepish at the bemused look he received. "Oh, uh... sorry. I'm **Masaoka Kioshi**."

**MASAOKA KIOSHI**

**Super High School Level Hunter**

From what Kuroda knew Kioshi was a master marksman, able to hit pretty much anything with all kinds of guns. His name had come up as part of a big story in the news recently, although currently Kuroda could not recall what it was about.

"Nice to meet you. I take it you like guns?" He asked.

"I love 'em!" Kioshi replied happily. "I wonder if there are any around here. It's been ages since I've fired one..."

"Guns are not permitted at Hope's Peak, so I wouldn't keep your hopes up." The girl interjected. "Perhaps you would be better served picking up a musical instrument instead."

"Music? No thanks, that's a little too stuffy for me." Kioshi said. "Well, on the other hand... Mobsters carried machine guns in violin cases, didn't they?"

"Violins are not your playthings." She replied, looking offended at the prospect. "You've been watching too many crime movies."

Turning away from Kioshi, she introduced herself to Kuroda. "I don't believe I've told you my name... I am **Miyuki Saito**."

**MIYUKI SAITO**

**Super High School Level Violinist**

Kuroda was honestly a little surprised to see Saito there - one of the most in-demand musicians in the country, between her tight schedule of concerts and special performances he didn't think the girl even had time for schooling.

"Tell me, Kuroda... Do you play an instrument?" She asked, fiddling with her bracelet - a chain with silver and black musical notes attached - as she spoke.

"I-" He was cut off by a loud bang from one side of the room, followed closely by a shout from the other side.

"Yoshikawa! Do not deface school property!" Izanagi had announced his return by loudly reprimanding the graffiti artist for punching the metal plate.

"Fuck off... I didn't damage it." Daisuki shot back.

"You're back, Izanagi." Ignoring the exchange between the two men, Miharu greeted the warden. "Did you find anything?"

"I have explored the entirety of the floors we have access to," Izanagi reported. "But there is no sign of anyone else."

"Troubling news, indeed." Akemi said. "This place is getting stranger and stranger."

Suddenly, the PA system crackled and a squeaky voice started speaking.

"Good morning, students! This is your new headmaster! Please come to the gymnasium at once!"

"Where is the gymnasium...?" Saito asked. "I don't recall seeing any map..."

"I found the gymnasium earlier. I will lead the way." Izanagi exclaimed, already walking towards the door.

"Why stick us in a classroom if we're just going somewhere else? How odd..." Tomoe wondered aloud, moving to follow the prison warden.

"Maybe he wanted us to exercise?" Shunari suggested. "It's not as good as running, but walking is still good for you."

"As good an explanation as any." Akemi replied, shrugging. "I'm sure we'll find out soon enough..."

With nothing left to do in the classroom the students slowly followed Izanagi. What was ahead was uncertain, but hopefully the headmaster could explain what was going on.

* * *

**Urgh... Introductions are not my forte, and I think I may have overdone the standoffishness of the people sitting by themselves (also, with Hisoka you have witnessed the first of my Wikipedia-level knowledge of these character's fields. Get used to seeing it :P). If you think I've mis-characterised your OC, _please_ let me know (any first impressions of the cast you'd like to share are also welcome :D).**

**I'll also mention that although I made them use Japanese name order when they introduce themselves, they will refer to each other by their first names (bar Izanagi, but if it's too annoying to remember the full names I can change that), so tell me if I've managed to screw up the name of your character.**

**In other news, I'd like some input - in either the next chapter or the one after it, I will be doing a pseudo-free time event where we get to explore a couple of rooms from the Academy's first two floors and talk to the students more. To decide, I'd appreciate it if people could give me (via PM or review, I don't mind which) one room from the following list you want to see (edit: sorry, I should have been more clear - I have decided what students are going where, so I want people to tell me which room they want Kuroda to go check out):**

**- Trophy Room**

**- Storage Room**

**- Infirmary**

**- Entrance Hall**

**- 1F Classrooms**

**- Cafeteria**

**- Laundry Room**

**Obviously there will be different students in each room, but who is going where is my secret :P.**

**Next time: Monokuma overusing the phrase 'bastards'!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Meet Monokuma

**Thank you for the reviews, everyone! They are much appreciated (and if you haven't voted for a room yet, feel welcome to). I probably won't make a habit of responding to them, but it's great to know you guys are enjoying my writing :D.**

**Looking back at the last chapter I realised I forgot to describe our protagonist, so here it is: Kuroda is just above average in height and slightly muscular with short black hair and brown eyes, and is wearing a fully unzipped red hooded jacket, a white shirt, black pants and black shoes.**

* * *

With Izanagi leading the way through the corridors, the 16 students made their way to the gymnasium and entered the expansive room.

There was little to see in the room save for the empty podium at the far end of the room and so the students walked towards it, scattered into small groups as they conversed with each other.

"What's the deal? We get called here, and this headmaster guy doesn't show?" Daisuki asked, irritated.

"Be patient." The warden replied confidently. "I'm sure he will arrive shortly."

Right on cue, as soon as Izanagi had finished speaking a stuffed bear - half black, half white - popped out from behind the podium, sitting down and leaning forward a little to bring its muzzle close to the waiting microphones.

"Ah! What the hell is that?" Haruna yelled, shocked. "Some kind of toy bear?"

"I am your new headmaster, Monokuma!" The little mascot said excitedly. "Welcome to Hope's Peak Academy!"

"Oi, headmaster...? How come you're a bear?" Shunari asked, eyebrow raised.

"Why would you care about that? There's a much more exciting question!" Monokuma replied, smoothly dodging the question. "You're all wondering what's going on here, aren't you...?"

There were only a few unenthusiastic 'yes's in response, but he continued on regardless.

"Well, get excited, because you've just started your new high school life!"

"Eh? High school life...?" Takao asked. "I wouldn't exactly call school a lifestyle..."

"Upupu... Looks like I'll have to spell it out for you, so listen up! All of you guys have been enrolled here permanently!" He exclaimed, clapping his paws together happily. "I've covered all your living expenses, so you can simply enjoy your new life here!"

"Living expenses?" Aurora inquired, a puzzled look on her face. "This isn't a boarding school..."

"Well, surprise! It's a boarding school, starting from today!" He said. "It might be a shock, but you'll get used to it soon enough!"

"B-But...!" Rei spoke up anxiously. "I-I can't live here... I need to see Tsuki..."

"Oh, oh my! We've barely started, and you guys want to leave already!?" Monkuma asked, shocked. "Well lucky for you, there is a way to get out! All you have to do is graduate from this class!"

"We have to... graduate?" Akemi said. "So you mean we have to be at the top of the class?"

"That's right!" The toy exclaimed. "Beat your fellow students, and you're free to go!"

"I can do that..." Miharu piped up. "What subject will we be tested on?"

"Tests? Oh no, that would take much too long." He said. "Besides, I haven't got any classes scheduled for you guys."

"N-no classes?" Izanagi asked, uncharacteristically nervous. "How can you graduate if there's nothing to study?"

"I was wondering when someone would ask!" The toy replied triumphantly. "It's easy - all you have to do is kill one of your classmates!"

"K-Kill!?" Rei stuttered.

"Any way you want; stab them, shoot them, strangle them, I don't care!" He explained. "But don't get too excited - you'll then have to face off against the class in a battle of wits!"

"Upupu... But I'll explain that once we get to it." Monokuma finished with a chuckle. "That covers the basics! You guys are now ready for your new high school life..."  
"Or should I say, your new **high school life of mutual killing**!"

...

His words were met with a stony silence and a whole lot of disbelieving stares.

"E-eh?" Monokuma asked, his previous enthusiasm decreasing a little. "Did I say something wrong?"

"If this is a joke, it is in decidedly poor taste." Erika said flatly. "Although admittedly, it exceeds my expectations for a bear."

"No! No! This is no joke!" He squeaked angrily, shaking his fist at the logician. "I'm perfectly serious! If you want out, you need to kill someone!"

"Not just that... Are you really saying we're stuck in here?" Ichigo asked.

"You're not stuck anywhere!" Monokuma replied. "Forget the outside! This building is your world... What's so hard to believe about that!?"

"I don't think it's unreasonable for us to be skeptical." The violinist said, once again playing with her bracelet. "This whole thing is a bit... far-fetched."

"B-But I'm your headmaster... There is no reason you shouldn't believe me!" The toy protested - it was clear the notion had not occurred to him. "I'll have you know I control this place!"

"That tells us nothing - you ought to prove it." Erika countered. "Perhaps, if you were to make an example of somebody...?"

"O-Oh no, I couldn't do that!" Monokuma seemed horrified at the prospect, and he began to flush red. "That's not in the spirit of mutual killing! You people have to kill each other!"

"You could at least do a display of power." Takao added helpfully. "You know, show us you do actually control this place."

"Good idea!" He perked up for a moment, but immediately slumped in disappointment again. "Wait, I can't do that either... The gatling gun in here is out of commission..."

"...You're new at this, aren't you?" Kioshi interjected.

"And so what if I am!? We all have to start somewhere, don't we?" Monokuma shot back defensively.

"That's not a great excuse..." Hisoka said. "I think I'd like to file a complaint."

"Ooh, disrespecting the headmaster...! You guys sure are cruel!" The toy cried out, his face turning a deeper shade of red than before. "Only bastards would do such a thing! You're all bastards!"

"An incompetent headmaster, and now an unprofessional one, too." Saito said calmly. "You're really digging yourself into a hole here..."

"A-all these bastard students ganging up on me... Won't someone help me keep order!?"

It was a clear plea for Izanagi's help, which the warden did not miss.

"That's enough! Listen to the headmaster!" He snapped sharply, casting a furious glare at the gathered students before awkwardly muttering an apology to Rei, who had flinched quite violently as his yell.

Taking advantage of the temporary order that Izanagi had restored Monokuma ducked behind the podium to bring out a stack of devices.

Jumping down onto the gym floor, he walked around and began handing out the devices.

"Moving on! These are your electronic student IDs," He explained. "Make sure you have the correct ID, because you bastards will need to keep it with you at all times!"

Looking down at the device he'd been given, Kuroda tentatively pressed the power button. The screen lit up immediately, displaying his name and title as Monokuma continued to lecture them about the IDs.

"It's very useful, you see. It works as identification, a rulebook and a map, all rolled into one convenient package! You will also be able to receive emails from your lovely headmaster!"

"Emails? What, are you gonna send us a newsletter or something?" Haruna asked.

"Upupu... When the time comes, you'll see." He replied cryptically. "And remember, take good care of it! Who can say what I have in store for you if you lose it...?"

"What if it gets damaged?" Hisoka pointed out. "You never know what could happen..."

"Impossible! I had them specially made to be waterproof, and extremely resistant to force!" He replied confidently. "And don't even think about throwing them in the incinerator! I'll punish you if you do that!"

"Oh, Monokuma... You spelt my name wrong on here." Erika said disapprovingly. "How careless of you."

"R-really? But I was sure I got it correct..." Monokuma said worriedly, prancing over to where the logician stood. He reached up to take the ID from Erika, but she moved it out of his reach.

"Heh heh heh. That was a lie."

"A trick...!" The bear flushed red again from embarrassment. "Why must you taunt your headmaster so!?"

"I apologise - I couldn't help myself." She said, somehow sounding even less sincere than usual. "You really make yourself an easy target."

"Don't try and make this my fault!" He scolded. "I'm doing my best, but you bastards keep giving me a hard time!"

"H-Hey, wait! Where are you going?" Monokuma changed the topic suddenly, noticing Daisuki had begun to walk off. "This assembly is still in session!"

"You're a bad fuckin' joke. I'm going home..." The graffiti artist replied dismissively.

"Weren't you listening when I said you live here!? This building is your home now, so leaving the school grounds is expressly forbidden!" Monokuma shouted, suddenly regaining some of his previously lost vigour. "Not that it really matters... I had to make sure none of you bastards would leave, so I sealed off all the exits!"

"Why make a rule like that if we can't leave?" Haruna asked. "It's kinda redundant."

"Rules are important! I can't have you bastards thinking that you can try and blast your way through the walls!"

"Trying to get through the plates when we could have blown up the walls... Genius! Why didn't I think of that?" Tomoe gasped.

"Don't even think about that now!" He threatened. "I take breaking the rules very seriously!"

"Aw, you're boring." She sighed, disappointed. "If I can't blow stuff up, I wonder what I should do with my time..."

"Check out the map on your ID... there's plenty of stuff in this building." Takao instructed. "I'm sure you'll find something to do."

"Hey, look! There's an A/V room!" Aurora said excitedly, the map on her own ID already brought up. "Awesome! I bet there's some great stuff in there!"

Monokuma gave a little laugh at Aurora's enthusiasm. "Upupu... Settling in already, eh? That's certainly a turnaround from just before! It looks like I'll have to give you bastards a **motive**!"

"A... motivation?" Kioshi asked. "For what? Graduation?"

"That's right! I can't have you bastards just sitting around and not killing each other, so I've decided to jump start your high school life of mutual killing!"

"Surely it defeats the point of us killing each other if you are intervening..." Akemi pointed out.

"This isn't an intervention, I'm enhancing your mutual killing experience!" The toy bear argued. "Things would sure get boring around here if I didn't get the ball rolling!"

"Of course," He said slyly. "If you bastards are willing to give your headmaster some respect, maybe I can wait a few days..."

"No, that's quite alright." Erika replied without any hesitation. "Tell us what it is."

"...A-Are you really sure?" Monokuma asked, suddenly nervous. "If you ask me, respecting your headmaster is a good option! If I gave you a motivation now, you never know who might be driven to try and kill you!"

Hisoka frowned. "Don't tell me you were bluffing... You _do_ have a motive for us, right?"

"Uh, w-well..." He trailed off. "It's not like you don't already have one! You're trapped! If you bastards want to get out to the sweet, sweet outside, all you have to do is kill someone!"

"That is an exceedingly flimsy motive for murder." The psychologist said, unimpressed. "Maybe if you'd made this place a little less luxurious..."

"It's quite shocking." Saito agreed. "It's like there's no thought at all put into this. The quality of this headmaster just keeps going downhill."

"Yes, he was really scraping the bottom of the barrel there to try and get some respect." Erika concluded. "I think this is whole new level of pathetic."

"Ack-! Don't pass judgement on me so quickly, you bastards!"

"Ah... I think you guys should lay off him already." Shunari interjected. "I'm starting to feel bad for him."

"I-I'm being pitied now!? This is the last straw...!" Monokuma fumed. "Fine! I'll retreat for now, but I'll be back with an amazing motivation!"

"Eh? You're leaving?" The runner asked with a surprised look.

"That's right, and it's all because of you bastards!" The toy said accusingly, waving his paws angrily as he began to walk back up to the stage.

"Wait!" Izanagi called him back. "What should we do now, headmaster?"

"See if I care!" The toy responded angrily, not bothering to turn around. "Make friends! Explore! There are plenty of ways to apply yourselves around here!"

Bidding goodbye to the gathered students with a rather crude hand gesture, Monokuma disappeared behind the podium.

Following the bear, Shunari crouched down to examine the podium. "...He's gone."

"What an odd little thing... Was that really the headmaster?" Tomoe asked.

"Who cares? I'd rather know what the fuck is going on here!" Daisuki snapped, arms crossed.

"I think it's best we explore." Miharu proposed. "Our first move should be to find out whether that bear was talking out of his arse or not." There were murmurs of agreement, and everyone started to leave the gymnasium.

"Wait, don't go yet." Ichigo stopped them, tilting his ID to show everyone. "On the IDs... There are a set of rules."

Taking another look at his ID, Kuroda realised there was indeed a tab titled 'Rules' in the menu. Opening it up, he began to read the text that appeared.

_1. The students will live a communal lifestyle with no time limit inside the school walls._

_2. The time between 10pm and 7am is called "Night Time". During Night Time there are places that are forbidden to enter, so please take care._

_3. Sleeping is only permitted in the personal rooms prepared for you in the dormitory area. Anyone intentionally falling asleep elsewhere will be punished._

_4. You may investigate the school as you please. There are no special restrictions on your actions._

_5. No violence is permitted against the school's headmaster, Monokuma. Destruction of the surveillance cameras is forbidden._

_6. A "culprit" who kills a fellow student will graduate the school. However, they must not let any other student know they are the culprit._

_7. Additional rules may be added by the school at any time._

"Hold up a second... We're being watched!?" Haruna said angrily. "What the fuck?"

"Cameras, these strange IDs... for a joke, this is incredibly elaborate." Akemi said thoughtfully. "Whoever organised this has done an admirable job."

"The rules say we can't do anything about them... At least there's nothing stopping us from exploring." Takao said. "I think it's time to take a look around."

With the doctor leading the way this time, the other students began to trickle out of the gymnasium to explore.

Rather than following the crowd, Kuroda instead brought out his student ID. Quickly bringing up the floor plans for the academy, he scrolled between the two available levels of the school while pondering where to go.

* * *

**Poor, poor Monokuma... he really can't catch a break. He's damn fun to write though.**

**I'm aware this is a bit... light for Dangan Ronpa, but I promise things will get more serious once people start dying :P**

**Next chapter will be the Room Time events (I hope you don't mind me stealing that phrase MizunashiFuyuko, I do love the name you came up with), so in the spirit of staying ahead in the planning department I'd like to start getting some nominations for the upcoming Free Time.**

**I will be doing SIX Free Time events in the first round, so if you can give me THREE characters (read: not your own OC, I will not count the vote if you nominate your own character) you want to see more of, that would be much appreciated!**

**Just a heads up: in this round everyone is available, but in future due to plot reasons (other than death :P) some characters will not be available during free time.**


	4. Chapter 4 - Let's Explore I

**MizunashiFuyuko: Call me whatever you'd like :P**

**CaptainPancakes: Don't worry! Of course, I do prefer longer reviews (who wouldn't?) but short ones are totally fine too.**

**Anyway, it's Room Time! We'll be heading to the Trophy Room and the 1F Classrooms (and pretending we visited all the other rooms) - There were 3 other rooms with equal votes to the Trophy Room, but I picked it because it contains students who don't look like they'll be getting a Free Time this round.**

**For the record, Free Time events will be written in the same format as what you're about to see. Hopefully, they'll be a bit longer though :P.**

* * *

Kuroda spent a long moment looking over the maps before deciding on where to go.

Putting away his student ID, he started to head over to his first destination.

**===EXPLORE!===**

**-Trophy Room-**

KURODA: (Directly outside the gym, this room contains a whole bunch of awards and paraphernalia.)

KURODA: (**Shunari** and **Miharu** seem to be checking out the things here.)

**-Shunari-**

KURODA: (Shunari is just browsing through the display cases.)

KURODA: (I wonder if he's looking for something?)

SHUNARI: Hey Kuroda! Have you checked out the stuff here?

KURODA: Not yet, I was just passing through...

SHUNARI: It's amazing! Hockey, tennis, basketball... There's even a chess award!

SHUNARI: Oh, I was meaning to ask... Do you play any sport, Kuroda?

KURODA: I used to run actually, but I stopped a few years ago.

KURODA: It was for fun, though. It's not like I competed or anything.

SHUNARI: I think it's good you started it as a hobby! It makes me wonder how I could have turned out if I did that.

SHUNARI: I mean, I love running now... but that's not how I got into it.

KURODA: It's not? Were you forced into it by your parents or something?

SHUNARI: Haha! It's nothing so exciting. It was actually because of this girl in my neighbourhood.

SHUNARI: I really liked her, you know? I wanted to impress her.

KURODA: You thought being a runner would impress her?

SHUNARI: Pretty much, yeah. She said she liked the sporty types, so I picked up running.

SHUNARI: Best decision I ever made! Things really took off from there.

SHUNARI: ...

SHUNARI: But thinking about it now... I got so carried away by running, I kind of forgot about her...

SHUNARI: I wonder what she's doing now...?

SHUNARI: Ahh, all this talk has got me in the mood for running! I'll see you later, Kuroda.

KURODA: (Shunari ran off...)

**-Miharu-**

KURODA: (Miharu is intently staring at one of the trophies.)

KURODA: (I wonder... Is there something special about it?)

KURODA: A science award... Do you know the person who received it?

MIHARU: No, I've never seen it before.

MIHARU: Which is how it should be. It suits my purposes.

KURODA: Purposes? What are you doing?

MIHARU: Training.

KURODA: Er... Come again?

MIHARU: I have a **photographic memory**. It's a necessary skill to have if you want to be a trivia champion, you know.

MIHARU: I could easily just rely on my natural talent, but I think it's better to practice where I can.

KURODA: How are you planning to practice? Recite what you just read?

MIHARU: I've read the inscriptions on every item in this room... I'll come back tomorrow, close my eyes and recite everything I've read. In order.

MIHARU: Then the next day, I'll recite everything backwards, and the day after, in alphabetical order.

KURODA: That sounds like a lot of work...

MIHARU: Oh, this is pretty lightweight actually. There are only 58 items in the display cases.

KURODA: Only...!?

MIHARU: That's right... once you've recited the first 5000 numbers of pi, 58 isn't such a big number anymore.

MIHARU: Anyway, I should leave. If I accidentally saw one of the inscriptions again, I would be wasting my time...

KURODA: (Miharu left the room...)

KURODA: (It seems she'll come back here over the next few days.)

**-1F Classrooms-**

KURODA: (It's the room I woke up in.)

KURODA: (**Izanagi** and **Saito** are here, but nothing has changed about the room itself.)

**-Izanagi-**

KURODA: (Izanagi is looking around... I should talk to him.)

IZANAGI: Hayashi! It is good to see others placing a high priority on their study.

IZANAGI: Are you here to inspect the classrooms?

KURODA: Yeah... I guess I am.

IZANAGI: In that case, I will save you some time - from my inspection, I can say that these classrooms are quite impressive.

IZANAGI: Everything in here is top quality... I will be looking forward to studying in these rooms!

KURODA: You still think this is a normal school? Even after what Monokuma told us?

IZANAGI: ...

IZANAGI: I admit, I do not understand what the headmaster is planning...

IZANAGI: But we are still in high school! Above all, we are here to learn!

KURODA: For a prison warden, you're pretty into studying...

IZANAGI: Of course! Whenever I'm not working in the prisons, I study!

IZANAGI: Learning set material... Such perfect order is relaxing for me!

KURODA: (It sounds like he keeps himself busy...)

KURODA: (Does this guy spend any time socialising?)

IZANAGI: Please, do not give me that look...! Is it really so strange!?

KURODA: W-Well, it's a little weird for me... I couldn't imagine living with a schedule like that...

IZANAGI: ...

IZANAGI: I... I see.

KURODA: (Izanagi left without saying anything more...)

KURODA: (I hope I didn't upset him...)

**-Saito-**

KURODA: (Saito is writing something on the blackboard... Hopefully I'm not interrupting her.)

SAITO: Oh, Kuroda. What brings you here?

KURODA: I'm just exploring... What's that you're writing on the board?

SAITO: Not writing... composing.

SAITO: All this business with Monokuma has gotten me into a creative mood.

KURODA: You... compose music?

SAITO: On the side, yes... Did you really think I only played the violin?

KURODA: N-No, that's not what I meant...

SAITO: Heh heh. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy playing the classics.

SAITO: But, there's something very special about playing music of your own creation... I relish it.

SAITO: Don't worry. I wouldn't expect you to understand.

KURODA: Right... How come you're writing it here, anyway?

SAITO: Where else would I write it? Izanagi wouldn't let me carve it onto the desks...

KURODA: Well, why not put it on a piece of paper or something?

KURODA: The blackboard isn't detachable... You won't be able to take it anywhere.

SAITO: Hm... You have a point. I will have to start over somewhere else.

SAITO: If only you'd told me earlier. This one was quite nice.

KURODA: Huh? You're just going to abandon this one?

SAITO: Of course... I always write my pieces in one sitting.

SAITO: I will leave it here, however... Should you ever desire to compose your own music, I'm sure it will be a helpful guide.

KURODA: (Saito walked off...)

* * *

Deciding that was enough exploration for the day, Kuroda figured it was time to investigate the student dorms. Reaching his destination after a short walk, Kuroda's eyebrows shot up as he spotted the person waiting for him in the corridor...

"Monokuma?" He asked. "Didn't you say you'd be off licking your wounds?"

"Oh, shut up! It's not like I want to spend time with you bastards right now!" The headmaster snapped. "But I forgot to give out your room keys, so I had no choice."

Waving around the key in his paw for emphasis, Monokuma walked up to the engineer and held it out for him to take.

"Room keys...?" Accepting the key presented to him, Kuroda held it up for inspection.

At first glance it was an ordinary key; shiny, silver, and attached to a nametag bearing his name by a flimsy looking keyring, but upon giving it a closer look Kuroda noted that the key seemed to have it's serial number filed off. He turned it around a few times more, but there was nothing else that could be considered unusual.

"Of course! It's absolutely necessary to have locks on your rooms!" The bear said matter-of-factly. "You're a big bunch of hormonal teenagers... If there were no locks, who could say what might happen?"

"No, that's not what I meant." He replied. "What with the IDs and all... I thought you would have used something a little more high tech."

"You have such high expectations of me..." Monokuma raised his paws to cup his cheeks as he spoke, sounding a little defensive. "But it's not my fault - I'm working with what I was left with! One of my philosophies in life is 'if it ain't broken, don't fix it'!"

"You've been working on this place...?" Kuroda asked, interest piqued. "You mean like renovations?"

"I don't have time for your inane questions!" Monokuma chided, totally ignoring the question. "I need to go track down some other bastards to give them their keys!"

Without even bothering to say goodbye he ran off (with surprising speed considering how stubby his legs were), leaving Kuroda alone in the corridor.

With a shrug he resumed the search for his room - it did not take long for him to locate it thanks to the nameplates helpfully hung up on the doors.

Quickly unlocking it, he stepped inside to take a look around. It was a decently sized room with an incredibly minimalistic design - Apart from a closet, a bed and a desk with a clock, there was no other furniture to speak of.

"This place is barren..." Kuroda muttered to himself. "Hopefully Monokuma won't mind a little interior decoration."

He considered going back to the storage room to look for something to liven up the room a little, but a glance at the clock told him that it was already surprisingly close to night time - 9:15 PM.

He frowned. It seemed he had spent much more time exploring than he had originally thought.

Opting instead to take a shower, he killed some time lounging around in his room before deciding it would be best to just go to sleep early.

He reflected on the day's events as he got ready for bed. Monokuma, and the high school life of mutual killing... As a class they had collectively dismissed his claims, but doubts lingered in his mind nonetheless.

What if he was really serious...?

He pushed those thoughts away. Murder game or not, he still had to admit that the Academy seemed like quite a nice place to live, and if nothing else his classmates were certainly an interesting bunch.

There was no way to tell what would happen, but...

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

_"This is a school announcement. It is now 10 pm."_

_"Night time begins now."_

_"The cafeteria's doors will be locked shortly. You are forbidden to enter it."_

_"Well then, good night. I wish you all have pleasant dreams..."_

_Day 1: END_

_Survivors: **16**_

* * *

_Day 2: START_

_"Good morning, you bastards! It's 7 am in the morning! Time to wake up!"_

_"Let's all strive to do our best today!"_

Waking up to Monokuma's squeaky voice broadcasting throughout the building, Kuroda groaned and rolled over onto his back.

He spent a while simply lying in bed, debating whether it was a good idea or not to go back to sleep but forced himself to get out of bed in the end - there were still places to explore, and people he wanted to get to know a little better.

Quickly getting ready, he stepped out of his room and into the deserted corridor, making sure the lock the door behind him. It was eerily quiet walking down the halls - he wondered for a brief moment if everyone had disappeared - but any apprehension he felt from the walk dissipated as he began to hear voices from inside the cafeteria.

Opening the doors, to his surprise it seemed that their class was full of early risers: basically the entire class was already up, leisurely chatting and eating in their own little groups dotted around the room.

Erika was the only one to arrive significantly late, claiming her lateness was due to perfecting her hairstyle.

After eating an uneventful breakfast, the students were about to break off into groups to explore again when Monokuma's voice suddenly burst through the PA system.

"Alright, you bastards! Please come to the gymnasium immediately!"

"That bear again..." Hisoka muttered. "I wonder what he wants this time."

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Haruna answered. "Let's go!"

...

Entering the gym once again they found that this time the headmaster was already waiting for them, perched on the podium as he had been the day before. Looking around, Kuroda noticed that a thick line of bright yellow tape had been attached to the floor.

"My breakfast was interrupted..." Erika called out to Monokuma. "This had better not become a daily thing."

"No, don't worry! I won't even keep you bastards here for very long!" Without warning the toy's expression abruptly turned sinister, his left eye flashing an intense red. "But first, a demonstration... Please, stand behind the line!"

Monokuma gestured wildly, and before Kuroda could fully process what was happening a panel on the gymnasium roof slid open, allowing for a sleek looking gatling gun to drop through the hole.

With perfect precision the turret let loose a deafening burst of gunfire that tore up the ground in a perfectly straight line which ran parallel to the one already taped onto the floor.

As quickly as it had appeared the gun retracted into the roof again, leaving behind the still smoking bullet holes in the floor and a shocked silence.

"Upupu... Looks like I finally got your attention." He taunted. "Excellent! You bastards are now ready for my super special **motivation**!"

* * *

**Shit's starting to get real. What could this motivation be...?**

**Next chapter: The motive! Free Time!**


	5. Chapter 5 - Free Time I

**Sorry about the delay, I got distracted by a few early christmas presents.**

**Anyway, it's Free Time! The first three characters Kuroda will be visiting are Erika, Tomoe and Rei. The other three have not been decided on yet, so you can still vote if you haven't already.**

**But first... motivation time.**

* * *

"Come closer, you bastards!" Monokuma ordered. "I can't give you your motivation when you're standing all the way over there!"

For a long moment nobody moved, still struck dumb as the gravity of the situation dawned them. At last Hisoka was the first to move, deftly stepping over the bullets holes as he made his way closer to the headmaster. His actions broke the others from their reverie, and soon they were standing in a loose semi circle around the podium.

Momentarily disappearing behind the podium, Monokuma soon reappeared hefting a stack of envelopes. Placing them on the floor, he quickly clambered back up onto the podium.

"Everyone, please take the envelope marked with your name!" Monokuma instructed, motioning towards the neat pile. "And don't even think about showing anyone else what's in it! I won't hesitate to punish you for that!"

Quickly locating his envelope and opening it, Kuroda took out the slip of paper inside and looked at it. It was... blank. He had no time to ask about it, however, as Monokuma had already continued on with his explanation.

"Now, you have each been randomly assigned envelopes! Fifteen of you bastards will have a blank piece of paper inside! The sixteenth... You'll have the words 'fast track' on your paper!"

"What's that? You want to know what that means?" Monokuma asked, not bothering to wait for a response. "I'm fast tracking your graduation, of course! 24 hours from now, and you'll be out of here!"

Kuroda felt a rush of adrenalin as he heard the headmaster's words. His paper was blank... in other words, someone else in the room would be able to leave.

"Ooh, but don't celebrate yet. I like to see actual work done, so if any of your classmates decide to graduate the proper way I'll flunk you along with the rest of them!" He concluded. "Upupu... And by 'flunk', I mean 'execute'! Are we clear!?"

"**Execute**...!?" Haruna said, horrified. "You never said anything about execution yesterday!"

"Upupu... I thought it was obvious, so I didn't mention it!" He replied. "Once my star pupil graduates, I want nothing to do with the rest of you bastards!"

"So, one person will live at the cost of the rest of us." Akemi said thoughtfully. "Tell us... who is this star pupil?"

"I couldn't tell you!" He replied gleefully. "Like I said, the papers were randomly assigned! I'll graduate whoever gives me the 'fast track' paper 24 hours from now!"

"Well, finding out who got it is easy enough." Izanagi started. "Let's all show each other our-"

"No! Showing your papers to other students is strictly forbidden!" Monokuma interrupted angrily. "Talking about it is fine, but the second you show that paper to anyone, I'll punish you!"

"Remember, stealing is not against the rules here!" He continued. "But I won't tolerate this 'showing people your paper' nonsense! If you are really my star pupil, you'll find other ways to figure out who is graduating and get the paper off them!"

"You... you mean by force?" Rei asked anxiously. "I-I'm not strong enough to defend myself..."

"You're right! It would certainly be unfair considering the difference in strengths of you bastards! Luckily for you, I have a way around that - I'm adding a new rule now!" Right on cue, Kuroda heard his ID let out a beep. Turning it on, he noticed the section in the menu labelled 'Rules' was lit up.

Sure enough, a seventh rule had been added to the list:

_7. Breaking into locked rooms is forbidden._

"Aren't I generous? You bastards now have a safe space, provided you can lock all the doors! I won't be held responsible if you're caught out in the open though, so watch out!" Monokuma said. "Upupu... I look forward to finding out who the star pupil is."

"...Are you turning this into a game of information gathering and stealing? That is not exactly in the spirit of your so-called mutual killing." Saito asked, and for a moment Monokuma did not answer her. "You really didn't think this one through, did you?"

It seemed as though giving out the motive had given Monokuma some new kind of energy, because this time he was unfazed by the violinist's dig at him.

"Oh well! I'm not changing it now - a headmaster never goes back on their word!" He replied dismissively. "If stealing really isn't your thing, there's always murder!"

"I agree with Saito. This is ill thought through, and hardly a fair motivation..." Erika piped up suddenly. "I do have an idea for making it better, however."

"E-Eh?" Monokuma said, shocked. "Don't try and mess with your headmaster, you bastard! The threat of impending death is an excellent motive, if I do say so myself!"

"But with such a short time frame... 24 hours is insufficient time to plan and execute a murder, especially in light of your new rule." She explained. "As it stands, the odds are stacked against a potential killer. If you were to extend the time frame, there would be much more opportunity to commit murder. People cannot stay awake forever, after all..."

"..." The bear looked like he wanted to protest, but seemed to think better of it after a thoughtful pause. "Very well, I've changed my mind! You bastards now have double the time to stop the graduation. 48 whole hours! How generous!"

"That's... a little less than I was suggesting." The logician replied. "Staying awake for 48 hours is not unheard of."

"That's my final offer, you bastards! Take it or leave it!" Monokuma said firmly. "This assembly is now dismissed! I'll see you later!"

Just like that, he was gone. Immediately, Daisuki turned to Erika.

"What the fuck was that, Erika!?" The graffiti artist said accusingly. "Why were you fucking negotiating with that thing? What the hell are you planning!?"

She gave him an irritatingly calm smile. "I just doubled your remaining life span, and this is what I get in return? How crass."

"'Remaining life span'...? Don't fuck with me! There's no way I'm dying in this place!"

"That's bold of you to say, but I think his little 'display' shows he is perfectly capable of killing us. We will die two days from now." Ichigo cut in bitterly. "Or are you planning to kill someone?"

"Y-you fucker...! I'd never do something so low!" Daisuki growled angrily.

"In that case, Erika is correct." The writer replied gloomily. "We only have 48 hours to live..."

"No, I don't believe it! There's no way he's serious!" Aurora suddenly shouted. "Think about it, guys! All this set up... would he really do all this just to kill us right off the bat?"

"He's just making it up to scare us - this is supposed to be his motive for us to murder each other, remember?" She turned to Hisoka for help. "It's just some psychological trick, right?"

"Uncertainty has a powerful effect on people." The psychologist said thoughtfully. "I personally think he's bluffing, but if somebody is taking him seriously... well, who can say what will happen."

"... I suppose you have a point." Ichigo muttered, although his concession did not stop him from receiving a few suspicious looks.

"If it is truly just a ruse... perhaps it is better to try and forget about it." Erika proposed. "I know I will be. Besides, I still need to finish my breakfast..." With that said, she turned and left the gymnasium. Eventually the other students followed her lead and headed off to resume their earlier activities, leaving Kuroda alone in the gym.

It seemed strange to him, trying to simply ignore the dreadful words they had just heard, but he resolved to do so anyway. There was little else to do, anyway.

* * *

**===FREE TIME!===**

**-Cafeteria-**

**-Erika-**

KURODA: (Erika went right back to eating her breakfast, like nothing happened...)

ERIKA: It's rude to stare, you know.

KURODA: I, uh... Sorry.

ERIKA: Heh heh. Please, sit with me.

KURODA: (I talked to Erika, while she leisurely finished her meal.)

ERIKA: You know, I think I am in a teaching mood this morning...

ERIKA: Please, listen carefully. I'll show you a thing or two about logic.

KURODA: (I don't get a say in the matter, apparently...)

ERIKA: Anything above a beginner level would probably be beyond you... I shall start small, then.

ERIKA: In basic logical reasoning, there are three main components to any argument: at least two **premises**, the **rule**, and the **conclusion**.

ERIKA: The **premises** are statements that, when applied to a rule, will lead to a conclusion; or, more simply put, a premise is an assumption that something is true.

ERIKA: The **rule** is a logical connective, which implies that the conclusion follows the premise. In english sentences, grammatical constructions such as 'If... then...' take the role of the rule.

ERIKA: The **conclusion** is the result, given the rule and premises. The logical consequence, if you will.

ERIKA: Now, given this, there are three types of logical reasoning. Do you know what they are?

KURODA: Uh...

ERIKA: Heh heh heh. I didn't think so.

ERIKA: The three types are known as **deductive**, **inductive** and **abductive** reasoning.

ERIKA: I expect you have at least heard of deductive reasoning, yes? I shall keep this short.

ERIKA: **Deductive** reasoning is the determination of a conclusion, given the rule and the premises.

ERIKA: It is the most simple type of reasoning, and provided that all the premises are true, the truth of the conclusion is guarateed.

ERIKA: As far as practical examples go, all mathematical equations are determined via deductive reasoning, so I expect you to be well aquainted with this particular type of reasoning.

KURODA: (Okay... I think I understand this.)

KURODA: What about the other two?

ERIKA: Heh heh. I am glad to see you are catching on.

ERIKA: **Inductive** reasoning is the determination of a rule, given the conclusion and the premises; that is, to establish a link between the premises and the conclusion.

ERIKA: Essentially, it is the opposite of deductive reasoning. In informal terms, while deductive reasoning could be described as 'top-down' logic, inductive reasoning can be described as 'bottom-up' logic.

ERIKA: However, we must be careful with this type of reasoning.

ERIKA: By nature, inductive reasoning is uncertain. Even if the premises are true, and the deduction is performed correctly, the resulting conclusion may still be nonsensical.

ERIKA: Therefore, we must judge the certainty of our reasoning by the probability of the premises implicating the conclusion, rather than its logical validity.

ERIKA: Unfortunately, this type of argument can be convincing, even if it is invalid. Stupidity is simple to manipulate, after all.

KURODA: I see...

ERIKA: Which, of course, leaves **abductive** reasoning. As you may have deduced, abductive reasoning is the determination of premises, given the rule and the conclusion.

ERIKA: In other words, it can be thought of as inferring the best explanation for a conclusion, given that the conclusion logically follows the premises.

ERIKA: Similar to inductive reasoning, it is inherently uncertain, as it does not eliminate possibilities. We can, too, judge the certainty of our reasoning based on probability.

ERIKA: Now, tell me, Kuroda. What sort of reasoning do you think detectives use?

KURODA: Detectives?

ERIKA: That's right. In the spirit of this 'high school of mutual killing', of course.

KURODA: (What kind of reasoning do detectives use...?)

KURODA: Deductive reasoning. I think...

ERIKA: Heh heh. As expected.

ERIKA: Unfortunately, you are incorrect. While it is true that detectives perform deductions, they are commonly associated with abductive reasoning.

KURODA: Huh?

ERIKA: Let us use a hypothetical murder as an example.

ERIKA: Unless the killer is extremely unprepared, there will be no evidence which conclusively points to them. Therefore, given the evidence, the detective must infer the most likely circumstances of the death.

ERIKA: ...Although, deductive logic does have its place. You would do well not to forget that.

KURODA: Wow, you really know your stuff.

ERIKA: My knowledge is quite exceptional, is it not?

ERIKA: Heh heh. Perhaps it's time for a title upgrade...

ERIKA: Please, refer to me as **Supreme Logician Erika** from now on.

KURODA: (...Can you really just change your title like that?)

ERIKA: I should confirm this change with Monokuma... If you'll excuse me.

KURODA: (Erika left the cafeteria.)

KURODA: (Honestly, I can't tell whether she was kidding or not.)

**-Tomoe-**

TOMOE: Kuroda! You have to help me out!

KURODA: (What's up with Tomoe? She seems unusually nervous.)

KURODA: (There's a bit of powder on her face. I can't tell whether it's soot, or gunpowder...)

KURODA: Is something wrong?

TOMOE: Very, very wrong! You have to help me!

TOMOE: Come with me, quickly! You'll understand once I show you.

KURODA: (I started feeling dread as she dragged me towards the kitchen...)

KURODA: (Was it possible that something had happened already?)

**-Kitchen-**

TOMOE: It's bad, right?

KURODA: What the...

KURODA: (The kitchen is an absolute mess...)

KURODA: W-What happened here!?

TOMOE: I was cooking, of course! Why else would I be in the kitchen?

KURODA: Cooking? It looks like you set off a bomb...

TOMOE: Okay, so maybe I'm not that good at it...

TOMOE: But if Izanagi finds out I made such a mess, he's gonna kill me! I just know it!

TOMOE: I need to clean it up as soon as I can. Can you help me?

_Help Tomoe?_

_**YES** / NO_

TOMOE: I knew I could count on you!

KURODA: (We spent a while, cleaning up the kitchen together.)

TOMOE: Thanks, Kuroda. You're a life saver.

KURODA: No problem. I am curious though... How did you make so much of a mess?

TOMOE: Well... The whole motive thing made me anxious, so I decided to make myself some tea to calm myself down...

KURODA: (She recounted her various mishaps in the kitchen.)

TOMOE: ...And with all the pepper now down the drain, I still needed some kind of seasoning!

TOMOE: I couldn't find anything else, so I decided to use gunpowder.

TOMOE: Don't do that, by the way. After I sprinkled it on the fire it blew up in my face.

KURODA: (...Is she for real?)

KURODA: (She can't even boil water without blowing something up...)

KURODA: I see... perhaps you should stay away from cooking things in the future.

TOMOE: No way! My learning experience has just begun!

TOMOE: That was my first time trying to cook, you know. I'm sure the whole explosion thing was just a rookie mistake.

TOMOE: Sure, it might be safer to avoid trying... but if I don't try, I'll never get better.

TOMOE: You know what they say: nothing gets accomplished by being concerned with safety.

KURODA: ...Who told you that?

TOMOE: No one. It's my motto in life.

KURODA: (That certainly explains a lot...)

TOMOE: Hm... Maybe I should find someone to teach me how to cook, though. I'd hate to have to make you help me clean up again.

TOMOE: Do you know how to cook, Kuroda?

KURODA: Um, kind of... I used to watch my mother cook a lot.

TOMOE: Oh, that's perfect! You can teach me!

KURODA: I wouldn't say that's perfect... It's not like I cook a whole lot myself.

TOMOE: Yeah, but you know what cooking is supposed to look like! You can watch me, and tell me where I go wrong.

KURODA: Wouldn't it be easier if you got someone who actually cooks?

TOMOE: Oh, I don't learn well when someone is guiding me through stuff. I like to do it first, then get feedback later.

TOMOE: Besides... when it comes to explosions, mistakes are the fun part!

KURODA: ..You do know cooking usually doesn't involve explosions, right?

TOMOE: Yeah - that's why I need someone to teach me! So, are you gonna help me learn?

KURODA: (This time she somehow managed not to cause any lasting damage, but if this keeps up she's going to burn the school down.)

KURODA: (I can't say I'm a fan of being in the line of fire, but I should do it for the sake of everyone's wellbeing...)

KURODA: Alright, I'll teach you.

TOMOE: Yay! Don't worry, I'm sure any accidents won't cause permanent damage... I'll be looking forward to it, Kuroda!

KURODA: (She walked off with a big smile on her face.)

KURODA: (I think we got a little closer... but I can't help feeling my life is now in danger...)

**-Media Room-**

**-Rei-**  
KURODA: (Rei is watching something... I wonder what?)

KURODA: (Whatever it was, it just finished.)

REI: O-Oh, Kuroda. I didn't see you come in...

KURODA: What were you watching?

REI: It was a video of a horse race. There were some CDs lying around when I got here, so I thought I'd look for something to watch...

KURODA: Did you find anything good?

REI: W-Well, there's a nature documentary here that I was planning to watch next...

REI: I-If you want to, we could watch it together...

_Spend time with Rei?_

_**YES** / NO_

KURODA: (We watched the video together.)

REI: Ah... There aren't any more videos about nature here...

KURODA: You really like animals, don't you?

REI: I-Is that weird...?

KURODA: No, no! I was just making an observation.

REI: I-I see...

REI: Tell me... do you like animals, Kuroda?

KURODA: I don't mind them... I can't say I've spent much time around them.

KURODA: You must be an animal person... Are there any you don't like?

REI: Oh, no. I couldn't dislike animals. Maybe it's a gift, but they are always very good to me...

REI: Horses are my favourite, of course, and growing up in the country I got to see a lot of them.

REI: It's how I got into being an equestrian... nothing else has really interested me.

REI: I've spent most of my life around animals, but now we're stuck here I can't see them anymore...

REI: ...

REI: I miss Tsuki... now watching videos is the closest I can get.

KURODA: Well, why not expand your horizons while you're here?

REI: Eh? W-What do you mean?

KURODA: There are a lot of different subjects on these CDs...

KURODA: You can always rewatch the videos you've already seen, but why not try some other stuff too?

KURODA: Who knows, you might find something you like.

REI: I-I never really thought about that... I guess there's a lot I don't know.

REI: Still... Everything here looks kind of boring.

KURODA: (I can see a video about engineering... ouch.)

KURODA: You could always talk to one of our classmates. I'm sure they'd be happy to tell you about what they do.

REI: Hm... Well, I did get asked to write a book on horses...

REI: I-I'll go talk to Ichigo. Maybe he can help me!

REI: Thank you, Kuroda. I hope we can do this again sometime...

KURODA: (Rei left the room...)

KURODA: (I think I understand her a little more now.)

* * *

The day gone, Kuroda returned to his room. After a quick shower, he prepared to go to sleep. Lying in bed, the thoughts he had ignored over the course of the day came back in full force.

48 hours...

Was it just a trick, to try and goad someone into killing?

Or were they really going to die...?

He shut his eyes, pushing the thoughts away again. At the very least, they had another day before the supposed graduation was going to occur.

_"This is a school announcement. It is now 10 pm."_

_"Night time begins now."_

_"The cafeteria's doors will be locked shortly. You are forbidden to enter it."_

_"Well then, good night. I wish you all have pleasant dreams..."_

_Day 2: END_  
_Survivors: **16**_

* * *

**Three down, three to go (I know Rei's is a bit short, so I will probably come back to make it longer at some point). You'd think people would mope around more considering they might only have 48 hours to live, but we can't have that stand in the way of character development :P**

**P.S. Merry Christmas, everyone!**


	6. Chapter 6 - Free Time II

**I've decided I want to delay Izanagi's free time until after the first trial, so I'll be doing Ichigo, Takao and Akemi.**

* * *

_Day 3: START_

_"Good morning, you bastards! It's 7 am in the morning! Time to wake up!"_

_"Let's all strive to do our best today!"_

Without delay, Kuroda rolled out of bed and started to get ready. The time limit before the supposed graduation was steadily counting down, and there were still people he wanted to talk to.

* * *

**===FREE TIME!===**

**-1F Classrooms-**

**-Ichigo-**

KURODA: (Ichigo is sitting up here by himself, writing...)

KURODA: (Is it just me, or does he look... lonely?)

ICHIGO: ... Did you want something?

KURODA: Not really... I just wanted to hang out, if that's okay.

ICHIGO: ...

ICHIGO: Is that really true...? Do you really not want something from me...?

KURODA: Of course I don't... I just want to talk to you.

ICHIGO: D-Don't lie to me... People only talk to me when they want something.

KURODA: (...Who has this guy been talking to?)

KURODA: I just wanted to talk... really.

ICHIGO: ...You're serious, aren't you?

ICHIGO: Okay, I'm sorry... What did you want to talk about?

KURODA: Hm... Why don't you tell me about your stories?

ICHIGO: If you're really sure...

KURODA: (He told me about the stories he'd written. Eventually, he started to talk to me about other books and anime he'd read.)

KURODA: (If we get out of here, it seems I'll have a reading list...)

ICHIGO: That's everything I have to say... you found that boring, didn't you?

KURODA: Eh? Why would you think that?

ICHIGO: I know it's true... I can see it in your face.

ICHIGO: After all this time, nothing has changed... I don't know why I bothered.

ICHIGO: Are you planning to make fun of me now!? Get it over with!

KURODA: Huh? I wasn't planning to make fun of you... The stuff you recommended sounded interesting...

ICHIGO: Don't play dumb! Just do it already! You're just like **them**!

KURODA: **Them**...? Who?

ICHIGO: T-That's none of your business! Forget I said anything...

KURODA: ...

KURODA: I don't know what kind of people you've encountered in the past, but I'm not like that... Would it kill you to give me a chance?

ICHIGO: ...

ICHIGO: ...I suppose it's possible I've misjudged you. But I won't believe you just like that!

ICHIGO: If you want to prove yourself, come talk to me again...

KURODA: (He left in a hurry...)

KURODA: (We got a little closer... I think. What was that all about?)

**-Infirmary-**

**-Takao-**

TAKAO: Ah, Kuroda. I see you came for your checkup after all.

KURODA: (That's right... He offered to do a checkup, didn't he? I completely forgot about it...)

KURODA: Ah, that's not why I'm here... I just came to say hi.

TAKAO: If talk is all you're here for, I may as well do it. Come, sit down.

KURODA: I suppose...

KURODA: (We talked for a while, as he took some measurements. Heart rate, blood pressure... the works.)

TAKAO: Alright, we're almost done. Just one more thing...

KURODA: (He's putting on gloves...)

TAKAO: Well, what are you waiting for?

TAKAO: Turn around, and bend over... It's time for your prostate exam.

KURODA: W-What!?

TAKAO: I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Sorry - doctor humour.

TAKAO: Gets them every time. Heh heh heh.

TAKAO: In any case, I've got your results... You've got terminal cancer! Congratulations!

TAKAO: You've got a month at most. Better start ticking off the things on your bucket list.

KURODA: N-No way...

TAKAO: Ah, I've got a gullible one. Excellent.

TAKAO: That was also a joke, Kuroda. You've got a clean bill of health.

KURODA: ...

KURODA: Aren't you a doctor? You've got a terrible bedside manner!

TAKAO: Heh heh heh. Bedside manner is reserved for the sick ones. I wouldn't be a Super High School Level Doctor if I was nice to everyone who came walking into the clinic, after all.

KURODA: That's really dodgy logic...

TAKAO: Hey, I'm only human. I have a limit to my empathy, so I use it on those who need it most. Ever heard of triage? It works off the same principle.

KURODA: (He's joking... I think.)

TAKAO: In the mean time, I like to joke around with my healthy patients. They'll survive.

KURODA: But still... you're a doctor, aren't you? That's a rather casual attitude towards such a serious diagnosis.

TAKAO: That's because you don't see it my way... I've seen a lot of death in my line of work.

TAKAO: It's part of the job, you know? No matter how hard you try, you'll never save everyone.

TAKAO: It makes you realise life is short, fragile... and very **unfair**. Sickness can strike the most undeserving people...

TAKAO: That's why I like to scare my patients, to give them a little taste of what it's like to have a time limit on your life. I like to think it helps them go out and live life to the fullest.

TAKAO: ...Also, I get a kick out of it. That's mostly why I do it.

KURODA: A time limit, huh... I guess that's kind of like our situation.

TAKAO: In a way, yes... Provided Monokuma is serious, which I somehow doubt.

KURODA: Yeah... I can't help but wonder, though. What if he is?

TAKAO: It would be a terrible shame. I never got to live much, myself...

TAKAO: But anyhow, that's depressing talk. I hope you're not thinking of killing anyone.

KURODA: Of course not. I couldn't do something so terrible...

TAKAO: ...That's good to hear. Now, if you'll excuse me...

KURODA: (He left... Well, he definitely isn't what I was expecting. I would have thought he was some kind of saint.)

KURODA: (Still, I think I understand him a little more.)

**-Storage Room-**

**-Akemi-**

KURODA: (Maybe there will be something I can put in my room here...)

KURODA: (Huh? It's Akemi...)

AKEMI: Kuroda? I didn't think I'd meet anyone here...

KURODA: I could say the same thing. What brings you here?

AKEMI: Just exploring. I only managed to explore the first floor yesterday, so I'm taking a look around on this floor.

AKEMI: After this, I still have to look at the cafeteria and the kitchen. I'm impressed at how fast everybody else managed to look at everything.

KURODA: (It didn't take that long... Maybe she's just slow.)

KURODA: Well, it's not like it's a slow process... You just take a quick look around, right?

AKEMI: That is hardly exploring... True exploration is methodical and thorough. Where is your passion for discovering the unknown?

KURODA: Hey, I did check them all out. Just faster than you.

AKEMI: Hmph. I suppose that's the difference between me and you. Look close enough, and you'll find most things have hidden secrets.

KURODA: ...

KURODA: ...Is this a cryptic way of telling me you found something?

AKEMI: Bingo. Good job figuring that out, by the way. I tried telling Tomoe before you, but I think my message went over her head.

AKEMI: Turns out cryptic comments are not the best way to convey information. Who would have thought?

KURODA: Indeed... So, what did you find?

AKEMI: It's quite exciting news, actually. Check this out.

KURODA: (She pulled out a large piece of paper from her pocket... I'm not entirely sure how she fit it in there.)

KURODA: Are these... blueprints?

AKEMI: They are. Of this building, in fact.

KURODA: How... How did you even get this? I find it difficult to believe it was just lying around.

AKEMI: Like I said... Everything has secrets if you know where to look.

AKEMI: But anyway, that's not important. Remember how the stairs on the second floor are inaccessible?

KURODA: Vaguely...

AKEMI: Look at the blueprints... There are five floors in the plans.

KURODA: So you mean-

AKEMI: Yes; there are more floors to explore! We'll need to get past the gates first... but I'm sure it will be as interesting as these floors have been.

AKEMI: Apart from the blueprints, I also found a motorcycle... It makes a nice statement piece for my room, along with the Mona Lisa replica I found.

KURODA: (...How on earth did she find those? Why are they even in a high school?)

AKEMI: ...

AKEMI: ... Of course, there's no guarantee we'll make it past today...

AKEMI: But never mind that... What about you, Kuroda? Why are you here?

KURODA: I was planning to look for something to put in my room...

AKEMI: Really? You don't strike me as the interior decorating type...

AKEMI: Looks can be deceiving, it seems.

KURODA: It's not like this is a regular thing... I just want to make my room a little more interesting.

AKEMI: Do you use that excuse every time you decorate?

KURODA: Hey! It's my first time doing this, really!

AKEMI: I was kidding... I'll leave you to it. I want to finish exploring before evening...

KURODA: (Akemi left the room.)

KURODA: (I think we're a bit closer...)

* * *

After a time searching the storage room for things to decorate his room with, Kuroda realised that night time was rapidly approaching. Arms full of stuff, he began to head back to his room.

Passing by the cafeteria on his way, he stopped when he heard someone call out his name.

"Hey, Kuroda! Wanna play with us?" Recognising the voice as belonging to Shunari, he walked back to the cafeteria.

Peering inside, he saw a group of his classmates seated in a circle around a couple of tables pushed together. Shunari, Haruna, Takao, Saito, Kioshi, Aurora... Kuroda also spotted Miharu sitting by herself in the corner, but she didn't seem to be involved in whatever they were doing.

Cards and miscellaneous objects were scattered around the surface of the table in messy piles - from the scene before him, Kuroda guessed they were playing poker.

"Uh, I think I'll pass... I don't really like card games." Besides, his chances of actually winning looked slim - a glance at the stakes showed that currently Kioshi was crushing everybody else in the game.

"Suit yourself, you killjoy." Shunari said jokingly, before speaking to the rest of the group. "Another round, then?" Receiving murmurs of agreement, he started to pick up all the cards from the table.

Suddenly, Kioshi stood up and began gathering all of the spoils he had collected. "I'll play, but I need to go to the bathroom first. I'll be back in a minute."

"Oi! Why are you taking those with you?" Aurora said crossly, taking the gathered deck of cards from the runner and beginning to shuffle them. "My keys are in there..."

Kioshi stuck out his tongue at her. "I can't have you guys stealing my stakes, can I? Besides, if I recall correctly you were the one running around with everyone's stuff earlier." He retorted.

"Hey, don't act like I'm the only one who did that! I had to chase Shunari all over this floor to get our stuff back." She protested.

"You guys forced my hand! You kept trying to steal my stakes!" Shunari said accusingly.

Aurora raised her hands defensively. "Not my idea. Blame Saito."

The violinist shrugged. "I do what it takes to win."

"See? That's why I'm taking them. I earned my lead, I'm not losing it to a bunch of cheaters." He said matter-of-factly.

"Whatever... Do what you want." The quarterback sighed, defeated. "But do anything funny, and I'll break you."

"Yeah, yeah." Nonchalantly brushing off her words, Kioshi passed Kuroda and disappeared down one of the corridors.

Bidding goodbye to the remaining players, Kuroda also left and went back to his room. After a shower and spending a while strategically placing the items he had collected around the room, the place was now decidedly more interesting to look at.

Satisfied with his work, he went to bed. The scheduled time for the supposed graduation now loomed closer than ever, but somehow he managed to get to sleep without much trouble.

_"This is a school announcement. It is now 10 pm."_

_"Night time begins now."_

_"The cafeteria's doors will be locked shortly. You are forbidden to enter it."_

_"Well then, good night. I wish you all have pleasant dreams..."_

_Day 3: END_

_Survivors: **16**_

* * *

**The first round of Free Time is finally over, which means the interesting part (i.e. class trial) is coming up! Yay! I'd ask a rhetorical question about whether or not the graduation is going to happen, but I think we all know a murder is going to be committed :P.**

**In any case, unfortunately the next chapter may take a while for me to upload - it will most likely contain the investigation, and I am reluctant to post it until the trial has been finished (or close to).**


	7. Chapter 7 - Investigation One

**I feel kinda bad killing off someone already, but someone had to be the victim :(**

**Hopefully it's not too confusing, but just to clarify the investigation is done in a game style where you would walk around, and the "**_=== Person/object_**" denotes what Kuroda is interacting with.**

**I'm aiming for 2-3 Free Time events for all the characters over the course of the story, so after the trial is complete I will be doing a bonus chapter containing the Free Times of the characters who have died.**

* * *

_Day 4: START_

_"Good morning, you bastards! It's 7 am in the morning! Time to wake up!"_

_"Let's all strive to do our best today!"_

Kuroda woke up, a feeling of dread already hanging over him as soon as he looked at the clock. Hardly surprising, considering what was scheduled for the day.

Quickly getting ready, he was one of the first students in the cafeteria. Striking up polite conversation with Saito, they ate breakfast together as other students slowly trickled into the room.

Their conversation lasted for a while, but eventually started to trail off as it became harder to ignore time edging closer to the 48 hour mark.

After a few last awkward attempts to generate discussion they gave up on talking altogether, and waited in silence.

...

...

* * *

"48 hours was up... 20 minutes ago." Tomoe said, looking at the clock in the cafeteria. "I guess it's not happening."

"So it was all just a trick? I knew it!" Aurora said, visibly relieved. "I've gotten so tense, I need to do something! Hey Shunari, I'll race you around this floor!"

"This is indeed a cause for celebration!" Izanagi agreed. "I will go gather everyone."

"Who're you gonna get? Monokuma?" Daisuki said, absently playing around with his food. "Everyone's here..."

Izanagi gave him a confused look. "I don't know what you're talking about... Yoshikawa, please pay more attention to your environment!" He reprimanded. "There are only 14 of us here!"

Suddenly, the room's atmosphere grew cold as Izanagi's words sunk in. Surprisingly, it was Rei who voiced what everybody was thinking.

"T-There are two people missing..." She said, looking terrified. "W-What if s-something happened..?"

"Don't be like that, Rei... I-I'm sure they've just overslept." Aurora explained nervously. "Why don't we go wake them up?"

He tried to believe what Aurora said, but Kuroda felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as they all headed back to the dormitories. The more he thought about it, the less likely it seemed the missing students had simply overslept... After all, who could sleep in on a day like this?

Arriving outside of the students' doors, in an unspoken agreement the class split into half, each half clustering outside one of the doors.

The one standing closest to the door in his group, Kuroda quickly pressed the call button. "Hey! Are you in there!? Answer me!"

After a few tense moments, the door opened slightly and a deathly pale, terrified looking Kioshi peeked out from inside.

"Kuroda?" He asked cautiously. "What's going on?" The hunter looked past him, and seemed to relax a little upon seeing the others behind him.

Kuroda heaved a sigh of relief. "How come you're still in your room? We thought something had happened to you."

"Something did happen to me." Kioshi replied shakily, and the dread that had dissipated moments before returned in full force. "Someone tried to-"

He was interrupted by a blood-curdling scream coming from the corridor, followed by a bone-chilling announcement that crackled from the PA system.

_"A body has been discovered!"_

_"Following a brief period of investigation, we will commence our school trial!"_

Conversation forgotten, they rushed out into the corridor again. Rei had fallen to her knees, staring in horror at whatever was inside the wide open door in front of her.

A few seconds later, and Kuroda was able to see the terrible sight for himself.

A body, lying almost peacefully on the bed of the room. If it were not for the thin, bright red line around their throat, he might have mistaken them for being asleep.

"So." Hisoka spoke into the dead silence. "It has happened."

With so much happening, Kuroda's mind scrambled to process the events that had gone down.

A student had been killed. His classmate had been killed.

**Takahashi Haruna**... was dead.

"Upupu... That's right! Someone took a stab - or should I say strangle? - at trying to graduate, so our scheduled graduation is cancelled!" Monokuma popped up out of nowhere, speaking with barely contained glee. "Excellent work! This will certainly be an interesting trial!"

"Trial? What trial?" Shunari asked.

"Recall when I first explained this all to you bastards!" Monokuma instructed. "I mentioned a 'battle of wits'! Well, this is it! A Super High School Level Trial!"

"A trial, you say..." Akemi repeated. "Where we attempt to catch the killer?"

"Yup!" He said cheerfully. "Dear Haru's death cannot go unavenged, so it's up to you bastards to pick someone to punish!"

"You bastards will need to gather some evidence, of course, so you have an opportunity to do so now!" The bear continued. "Upupu... I hope you bastards become familiar with this process quickly, because it's going to happen every time a murder occurs!"

"Hold up! Why do we have to do this investigation bullshit!?" Saito objected. "This is all your fault! Haruna is dead because of you!"

"My fault? How is it my fault!?" Monokuma replied angrily. "One of you bastards committed this murder, not me! I can guarantee that!"

"You put us here. You did this." She shot back, glaring angrily. "I'm done playing along with your fucking games. I won't participate in a trial."

The bear slowly slunk towards Saito, and for a moment Kuroda thought he was about to pounce on her. Instead, he put his paws on his hips and started talking again.

"I really shouldn't be tolerating this kind of sass, but I'll make an exception this time!" Monokuma scolded. "One of your bastard classmates thinks they're smarter than you, Saito! Surely someone competitive like you can't ignore a challenge like that?"

His little speech seemed to have some kind of effect on the violinist, as she fell silent with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Upupu... I thought you'd see it my way. Now, get to work! There's a time limit on the investigation phase!" He continued, changing the subject. "Because this is your first time, I'll even point out the first piece of evidence!"

Suddenly, all of the student's IDs beeped. Turning it on, Kuroda noticed that an email had arrived from Monokuma.

"You bastards have a doctor among you, but I've decided to be consistent in the case he dies at any point!" The bear explained. "So I've sent you the **Monokuma File** - you'll find it contains some information about the victim!"

"Alright, that's it for me! The rest is up to you bastards!" He finished. "Upupu... Enjoy your investigation!"

As abruptly as he had arrived, Monokuma was gone once again.

Immediately, Hisoka turned to leave the room. "I wish to investigate alone. Please don't come looking for me."

"Y-You're going to start investigating already...?" Rei asked. "Do... Do we really have to do this...?"

"We have no choice." He replied simply. "The alternative is allowing the culprit to get away with this murder."

"You could at least tell us where you're going..." Shunari said.

"I will be checking the other rooms." Hisoka said. "The murder seems to have occurred here, but we need to be sure that there isn't other evidence lying around." Without waiting for a response, he walked out of the room.

"Oi, don't run off...!" The runner called out, but Hisoka was already gone. "If we're trying to catch a killer, shouldn't we be working together?"

"We should leave him for the time being." Izanagi said firmly. "Our investigation will be more efficient if we split up."

"So I guess I'm stuck examining the body, then." Takao sighed. "Even with the file, I might be able to find something."

"If you need an assistant, I am happy to help you." Akemi immediately volunteered herself, but Takao shook his head.

"This is a one man job, unfortunately. Perhaps you could try and find the murder weapon?" The astronomer looked a little disappointed, but went with Takao's suggestion anyway. After a moment of thought, she wandered out of the room after Hisoka.

"I will remain here." Izanagi piped up, standing over by the body almost protectively. "The culprit may try to tamper with the crime scene, so I will stand guard."

"So what if you're the killer, then?" Daisuki interjected. "Then you get to mess with the crime scene..."

"I would do no such thing, Yoshikawa!" He replied angrily. "If you don't believe me, you are welcome to keep watch too."

The graffiti artist shrugged. "Why not? I don't like the sound of investigating anyway."

"It seems I'll have an audience." Takao muttered to himself, producing surgical gloves from his pockets and putting them on. "Very well, but I'll need you to stand back a bit. A doctor needs his space..."

Reluctantly, Izanagi stepped away from Haruna.

"Thank you... Sorry to bother you, but could you get me a blade? I'll need to cut her wide open." Takao asked thoughtfully. "Don't be squeamish, now. I thought you would have seen blood and guts in the prisons." He added, seeing Izanagi's look of disapproval.

"T-That is an entirely different matter, Matsuda!" He stammered. "I am used to seeing the blood of criminals, not my classmates...!"

Rolling his eyes at the warden, Daisuki wandered off to find what Takao asked for while the doctor himself had a little laugh at the warden's discomfort.

"Who said she's not a criminal?" He countered. "Surely you heard the rumours..."

"... There was no conviction." Izanagi replied swiftly. "I have faith in the justice system."

"Well, if that's how you want to see it. I was just trying to make you feel better for when the blood starts gushing." Takao said, shrugging.

Daisuki soon returned, carrying a large pocket knife which he handed to the doctor. "Not scissors, but it's sharp. It should do the job."

Thanking the graffiti artist, Takao crouched down next to Haruna's body, and was poised to begin cutting when Izanagi suddenly burst out again. "Wait, please! Surely there is a better method of examination..."

"Hmhmhm... Just when I was starting to think you weren't going to speak up." The doctor chuckled, stashing the knife in his coat pocket. "I was just kidding, Izanagi. If you think that's how I'm going to examine the body, you've been watching too much TV."

"Matsuda! Now is not the time to be joking around!" Izanagi reprimanded, although he did sound a little relieved.

"It's not my fault you're such an easy target."

As the two men bantered Kuroda realised the other students had wandered off to conduct their own investigation, leaving him alone wondering what he should do.

Deciding a look at the Monokuma File would be a good place to start, he was about to start reading it when Miharu walked up to him.

"Kuroda... You're investigating, right?" She said, skipping straight past pleasantries.

"Yeah, of course... What of it?" She crossed and uncrossed her arms at his question, something that Kuroda might have interpreted as a nervous gesture if it were not for her completely flat expression.

"...I will help you." The trivia champion said after a short pause.

"Er... Thanks, I guess." He replied, taken by surprise. What kind of help that entailed, Kuroda had no idea. "So... are you going to be my assistant or something?"

"No... As I'm sure you recall, I have a **photographic memory**." She explained. "As you go around collecting evidence, I will **memorise** what we learn."

"Oh, so you'll be like a living **evidence list**." He said thoughtfully. "Thanks, Miharu. That's going to be useful."

"There is a catch... This will be my first time memorising and ordering memories in this manner." Miharu warned. "I will need to concentrate, so please do not interrupt me."

"Alright." Deciding it was better to ask before they got started, he posed her a question. "Hey, just so we're clear... What constitutes interrupting you?"

"Just try not to talk to me." She replied. "I'll handle the rest."

* * *

**===INVESTIGATION START!===**

**-Haruna's Room-**

_=== Monokuma File_

KURODA: Alright then. I suppose the first piece of evidence is the **Monokuma File**...

KURODA: It seems to contain the approximate time and cause of death.

**EVIDENCE: Monokuma File received!**

_Victim: Takahashi Haruna. Time of death: Close to 10 PM. Cause of death: Strangulation._

KURODA: That's not super helpful...

MIHARU: Takao is examining the body. Maybe he'll know more.

_=== Takao_

KURODA: (Takao is examining Haruna's body... Let's see what he has to say.)

KURODA: Have you found anything unusual about the body?

TAKAO: It's too early to say... I only just started my examination.

TAKAO: You are welcome to touch the body yourself, if you want.

KURODA: I think I'll pass, thanks...

TAKAO: Suit yourself... But if you're not going to, I would appreciate it if you could give me some space.

TAKAO: I need to concentrate if I want to finish before the trial begins.

MIHARU: Hey... What's that, on the ground?

TAKAO: It's her **room key**. I found it in her pocket...

_=== Key_

KURODA: (This key... Like Takao said, the nametag says it belongs to **Haruna**.)

KURODA: Huh? There's a **scratch** on the nametag... Right where it's connected to the keyring.

KURODA: She wasn't the careless type. I wonder how this got damaged.

**EVIDENCE: Haruna's Key received!**

_Haruna's room key is scratched._

KURODA: (There's nothing else of interest around the body.)

KURODA: (I should investigate elsewhere...)

_=== Erika_

ERIKA: Running around investigating, I see.

ERIKA: Heh heh. It's quite entertaining to watch.

KURODA: Have you found anything out?

ERIKA: No. Investigation is not really my cup of tea...

ERIKA: There is something I've noticed, though. Share what you've found with me and maybe I'll tell you what it is.

KURODA: We're still gathering evidence. I'll tell you about it when we get to the trial.

ERIKA: ... I suppose that is an acceptable trade. I will share my own observation, so please listen carefully.

ERIKA: Look around. Nothing is out of order... I hate to pass judgement on people, but I don't believe Haruna was particularly preoccupied with cleanliness.

ERIKA: And yet, this room has been **thoroughly cleaned**.

KURODA: (She's right... This place is spotless...)

**EVIDENCE: State of the Room received!**

_Haruna's room has been thoroughly cleaned._

MIHARU: There doesn't seem to be anything else to look at here... Is the investigation over?

ERIKA: Oh, no. There is still plenty for you two to do.

ERIKA: Investigate anything else you think might be related to the murder, and talk to the others.

ERIKA: They do not possess my superior intellect, but they may have something for you all the same.

KURODA: (I'll need to talk to **Kioshi**... I bet what happened to him is related to this, somehow.)

KURODA: (I should also talk to anyone else I meet on the way.)

_=== Izanagi_

IZANAGI: Do not worry. I've dealt with prisoners trying to do stuff behind my back, so I can handle anything the culprit might try to pull.

KURODA: That's good to hear... Are you planning to do some investigation as well?

IZANAGI: I would like to, but guarding the crime scene takes priority. Leaving such an important task to someone else would be unacceptable!

IZANAGI: I will have to rely on others to do the investigation... Are you capable, Hayashi?

IZANAGI: I notice you have recruited Kato to help you, which is a good sign!

KURODA: Well, we seem to be doing okay so far... this is my first time doing a murder investigation.

IZANAGI: This is not at all ideal... but I think I will have to trust you.

IZANAGI: You must do your best, Hayashi! I am counting on you to collect all the necessary evidence.

_=== Daisuki_

DAISUKI: Guard the crime scene... I guess I just gotta stand here...

DAISUKI: Yo, Kuroda! Do anything funny and I'll snap you in half.

KURODA: I-I wasn't planning to...

MIHARU: You look bored already. Did you really not want to investigate?

DAISUKI: I'll be all right, thanks. This isn't exactly exciting, but I'm in my comfort zone here.

DAISUKI: Graffiti and beating people up is pretty much all I'm good at. I'll leave the thinking to you guys.

KURODA: (How kind...)

DAISUKI: But anyway, you should get investigating. You're on the clock...

DAISUKI: Once you figure out who did it, come tell me and I'll deal with them!

**-Corridor-**

_=== Haruna's Door_

KURODA: (It's the door to Haruna's room.)

KURODA: Huh? What's with the nameplate...

KURODA: The screws holding it in place look a bit battered.

**EVIDENCE: Nameplates received!**

_The nameplate above Haruna's door has been tampered with._

KURODA: You were there for the body discovery... Did anyone touch this?

MIHARU: No... Aurora was the only who touched the door when she opened it.

KURODA: She forced it open? I thought we couldn't break into rooms...

MIHARU: No, it was **unlocked**.

MIHARU: I can't say for sure, but I think she may have known about it... We should ask her.

KURODA: (Hmm... Was it really unlocked? I should take a closer look.)

_=== Lock_

KURODA: (What's this..?)

KURODA: (The lock... It's been **broken beyond repair**.)

**EVIDENCE: Doors received!**

_The lock on Haruna's door is broken._

KURODA: Miharu, look... the lock on the door is busted.

KURODA: The door wasn't unlocked. It just seems that way, because the lock **doesn't work**.

**EVIDENCE: Broken Locks received!**

_The broken locks are completely nonfunctional._

MIHARU: Kuroda... that shouldn't be **possible**.

KURODA: Huh?

MIHARU: "Breaking into locked rooms is forbidden." The new rule Monokuma added...

**EVIDENCE: Rule #7 received!**

_The added rule states 'Breaking into locked rooms is forbidden'._

MIHARU: Breaking into rooms is forbidden, yet the culprit broke into Haruna's room.

KURODA: In other words, someone broke the seventh rule...

KURODA: Maybe Monokuma let the culprit get away with it because they committed the murder?

MONOKUMA: No! Absolutely not!

KURODA: Gah! When did you get here?

MONOKUMA: Don't ask such meaningless questions! I have something **very** important to tell you, so listen up!

MONOKUMA: As your headmaster, I take breaking the rules very seriously. If anyone steps out of line, I will punish them harshly! No exceptions!

MONOKUMA: So far, I haven't been forced to lay down the law just yet... **No rules have been broken**, I can guarantee you that!

KURODA: He's gone... I guess we'll have to take his word for it.

MIHARU: Is that really a good idea? The simplest solution to this is that he is lying to us.

KURODA: It's possible he's lying, but I don't see why he would.

KURODA: If he truly wants someone to graduate fairly, he has no reason to give the culprit an advantage.

MIHARU: Still... his words cause a direct **contradiction**. Is Monokuma wrong, or is it the evidence we've collected?

KURODA: I... I don't know. There has to be some other explanation...

MIHARU: For now, let's move on... I don't think we have time to speculate. Deductions can wait until the trial.

KURODA: Alright...

_=== Shunari_

SHUNARI: ...

KURODA: Shunari?

SHUNARI: Hey, Kuroda. How's your investigation going?

KURODA: Pretty well... I think. How about you? Have you found anything?

SHUNARI: Oh, no... I'm not investigating any more.

SHUNARI: I didn't know what to do, so I gave up after a few minutes. I've never been good with this investigation stuff anyway.

SHUNARI: I was just remembering the last time I saw her... We were playing poker together.

KURODA: Oh yeah, yesterday's game... Who else was playing?

MIHARU: Other than Shunari and Haruna... the players were **Aurora**, **Kioshi**, **Takao** and **Saito**.

**EVIDENCE: Shunari's Testimony received!**

_Haruna played a poker game the on night of the murder with Shunari, Aurora, Kioshi, Takao and Saito._

MIHARU: I don't really see how that's relevant... Why are you making me remember this?

KURODA: Er... Let's just cover our bases, okay? You never know.

MIHARU: ...

SHUNARI: Sounds like you guys are getting into it. Good luck with your investigation!

_=== Kioshi_

KIOSHI: ... Did you want something?

KURODA: I was wondering if you could tell us about what happened last night.

KIOSHI: ... Alright. It was just after night time started.

KIOSHI: I was about to start getting ready for bed, but then I heard a strange noise coming through my door.

KIOSHI: I realised **they were trying to break in**, so I barricaded the door.

KIOSHI: I got ready to defend myself if the barricade broke... but they gave up after a few minutes.

MIHARU: You're quite lucky you were awake. You could have easily been the victim instead of Haruna.

KIOSHI: ... I am, aren't I? Not that it's much comfort to Haruna...

**EVIDENCE: Kioshi's Testimony received!**

_Someone tried to break into Kioshi's room during Night Time._

KURODA: Do you have any idea who the person trying to break in might have been?

KIOSHI: No, I don't... They never actually opened the door, so I didn't see them.

KIOSHI: I'm sorry... I'm not being very helpful, am I?

KURODA: I don't think anyone can blame you...

_=== Aurora_

AURORA: Hello, you two. You want something?

KURODA: Can I ask you about discovering the body?

AURORA: There's not a whole lot to say... As soon as I saw her I knew she was dead.

AURORA: Rei noticed second, I think. She was the one who screamed.

KURODA: I want to know about before that... Miharu said you were the one who opened the door to Haruna's room.

KURODA: It would be normal for her room to be locked, right? So how come you knew it was unlocked?

AURORA: ...

AURORA: I... don't know, actually. She wasn't answering when we rang, so I just thought to try the door...

AURORA: And it worked, too! Turns out I have good instincts!

KURODA: I... see.

KURODA: (I don't know whether to believe her... It's a flimsy reason, but she seems so sincere...)

AURORA: Anyway, I want to check out Haruna's room again. I'll see you guys at the trial.

MIHARU: Look, Kuroda... She dropped something.

_=== Object on ground_

KURODA: Hey, it's her room key.

KURODA: ...Huh? It has a **scratch** on the nameplate, near the keyring...

**EVIDENCE: Aurora's Key received!**

_Aurora's room key is scratched._

KURODA: Odd. Wait here, I'll give it back to-

MIHARU: No.

KURODA: ...What?

MIHARU: This is an investigation... We should do some investigating, don't you think?

KURODA: Miharu...! We can't go into her room!

MIHARU: Think about it... Look at how the rooms are **ordered**.

KURODA: How they're ordered...?

KURODA: Well, **Kioshi's** room is on the left, then **Aurora's**, then **Haruna's**...

KURODA: ...Oh.

MIHARU: Yes... Her room lies between someone who was attacked, and someone who was killed. Do you really still think it's not worth a look?

KURODA: Fine, fine. Let's go check it out.

_=== Aurora's Door_

KURODA: (Aurora's door... Unlike Haruna's room, the lock seems to be working.)

MIHARU: The nameplate... The screws on it are also damaged.

**EVIDENCE: Nameplates updated!**

_The nameplates above Haruna and Aurora's doors have been tampered with._

KURODA: That makes two... Has someone been messing with all the nameplates?

MIHARU: Who knows... More importantly, why would they need to be handled?

MIHARU: Of course, they could have always been like that. This is my first time over this side of the dormitory.

KURODA: ... Seriously?

MIHARU: Our rooms are down the other end. I had no reason to come down here.

KURODA: You weren't even curious whose rooms were over here?

MIHARU: Nope.

KURODA: ...

MIHARU: Don't give me that look. Hurry up and open Aurora's room before someone sees us.

**-Aurora's Room-**

KURODA: ...Remind me why we're breaking into her room again.

MIHARU: Weren't you the one who wanted to cover all our bases?

MIHARU: You can lock the door if you really don't want anyone walking in.

KURODA: If someone saw us, that would be even harder to explain!

KURODA: Let's just get this over with.

MIHARU: Well, there doesn't seem to be anything unusual...

MIHARU: I'll check the bathroom. You look around here.

_=== Trashcan_

KURODA: (Something had been thrown into the trashcan...)

KURODA: (It's a roll of **fishing line**.)

KURODA: (It's been used... why is it here?)

MIHARU: There's nothing unusual in the bathroom... did you find anything?

KURODA: Here, look at this... It was thrown into the trashcan.

**EVIDENCE: Fishing Wire received!**

_There is a roll of fishing line hidden in Aurora's room. Some of it has been used._

MIHARU: That line around Haruna's neck... Could it have been caused by...?

KURODA: It's too early to say. We should wait and see what Takao says...

KURODA: At any rate, there's nothing left to see here.

**-Corridor-**

_=== Kioshi's Door_

KURODA: (It's Kioshi's door.)

KURODA: He certainly wasn't lying when he said someone tried to get in. They've managed to break the lock.

**EVIDENCE: Doors updated!**

_The locks on Haruna and Kioshi's doors are broken._

MIHARU: Ah, the nameplate...

KURODA: (She's right... same as the other two, the screws have scratches on them.)

**EVIDENCE: Nameplates updated!**

_The nameplates above Haruna, Aurora and Kioshi's doors have been tampered with._

KURODA: So, Kioshi's door makes three... Should we just check everyone's doors?

MIHARU: I already checked. It's only these three.

KURODA: Oh. Well, that saves us some time...

KURODA: Hey! What the hell are you doing, Miharu?

MIHARU: I'm going to check out his room, of course.

KURODA: But the culprit didn't even go inside. What would there be in there?

MIHARU: Well, we won't know unless we find out.

MIHARU: This is a murder investigation. It's hardly the time to be concerned about privacy.

KURODA: ...

**-Kioshi's Room-**

KURODA: I can't believe we're doing this again... I feel like a burglar.

MIHARU: Is now really the time? I'll go check out his bathroom...

_=== Furniture_

KURODA: (The stuff in his room is in total disarray... It's a real mess.)

KURODA: (Chairs, desks... It's all piled up near the door.)

MIHARU: I didn't find anything in the bathroom... What about you?

KURODA: No, there's nothing out of place...

KURODA: The room is a mess, but it's not weird considering he was barricading the door.

MIHARU: The murder announcement happened so soon after you found him, I guess he didn't have time to clean up.

KURODA: That settles it... there's nothing suspicious in here. Can we leave, before he walks in on us?

**-Corridor-**

_=== Saito_

KURODA: Are you investigating, Saito?

SAITO: ... Yes.

SAITO: Don't give me that look... It's not like I want to investigate.

SAITO: But if the killer thinks they can beat me, they are dead wrong. I'll show them...!

MIHARU: ...You know, what Monokuma said was blatant manipulation. You're playing right into his hands.

SAITO: Of course I know that... It's beside the point, though.

SAITO: The gauntlet has been thrown down! I won't let the killer get away.

KURODA: (She doesn't even care...)

KURODA: I think we've talked to everyone in the area... Maybe Takao is done by now?

**-Haruna's Room-**

_=== Takao_

TAKAO: There you are, Kuroda. I've finished my examination of the body.

TAKAO: Like the file said, she was strangled with some kind of thread. The imprint left behind is very thin, so it's likely that the murder weapon is quite short.

TAKAO: But there's no guarantee, of course. All I can say for sure is that the murder weapon was only wrapped around Haruna's throat once.

KURODA: About the murder weapon... Could it have been something like **fishing line**?

TAKAO: Yes... Something like that. Fishing line is certainly strong enough to do the deed.

TAKAO: I don't know where you would obtain something like that, though. Akemi told me she didn't find any kind of threads in her search.

KURODA: I see... Did you find anything else?

TAKAO: A couple of other things; her body has multiple small cuts and bruises all over it. It seems to suggest she put up some kind of fight before she was killed.

MIHARU: She was a soccer player, remember... could they have been sport related injuries?

TAKAO: I thought of that, but it's unlikely. They are very recent. Unless you are unbelievably clumsy, you can't sustain that kind of damage from sitting and playing poker.

**EVIDENCE: Signs of a Struggle received!**

_Cuts and bruises on the body suggest there was some kind of struggle._

TAKAO: Which relates to my other finding... The body was covered in bruises, but there were some especially heavy ones localised around the _neck_.

KURODA: But, that line around her neck... Wasn't she strangled with some kind of thread?

TAKAO: Examining the dead is not my specialty, so I can't tell you if the injuries were inflicted post mortem or not.

TAKAO: However, there is no doubt. Haruna has been strangled **twice**.

**EVIDENCE: Takao's Testimony received!**

_Bruising on the neck suggests Haruna was strangled twice._

KURODA: (**Twice**...?)

KURODA: Why would you strangle someone twice...?

TAKAO: Things like that don't happen randomly... There is a reason for it.

TAKAO: Once we figure it out, I'm sure it will help us catch the culprit. However, that discussion should probably wait until the trial.

KURODA: I guess you're right...

* * *

"Alright, you bastards! Investigation time is over, so please head to the elevator on the first floor!" Monokuma voice resounded throughout the building. With little else to do, Kuroda did was as he was told and he walked together with Miharu towards their destination.

Once all the students had gathered outside the elevator, Monokuma popped out.

"Everyone here? Good!" He made a gesture, and the elevator doors slid open. He beckoned the students inside, and once everyone was inside the lift the doors closed again.

"Ooh, I can bear-ly contain my excitement!" The bear exclaimed, waving them goodbye from behind the doors as the elevator started to move. "I'll see you bastards down there!"

As the elevator descended in silence, Kuroda looked around at the student's faces. He saw expressions of confusion, apprehension and fear, and he wondered who was putting on an act.

One among them was a murderer.

Reaching a stop, the elevator doors slid open to reveal the courtroom - a circular room furnished with 16 stands labelled with the student's names arranged in a ring. Monokuma was already waiting for them, perched on a chair outside the circle.

Taking a deep breath, Kuroda stepped out of the elevator.

The trial was about to begin.

* * *

**EVIDENCE LIST:**

**(1): Monokuma File**

_Victim: Takahashi Haruna. Time of Death: Close to 10 PM. Cause of Death: Strangulation._

**(2): Haruna's Key**

_Haruna's room key is scratched._

**(3): State of the Room**

_Haruna's room has been thoroughly cleaned._

**(4): Nameplates**

_The nameplates above Haruna, Aurora and Kioshi's doors have been tampered with._

**(5): Doors**

_The locks on Haruna and Kioshi's doors are broken._

**(6): Broken Locks**

_The broken locks are completely nonfunctional._

**(7): Rule #7**

_The added rule states 'Breaking into locked rooms is forbidden'._

**(8): Shunari's Testimony**

_Haruna played a poker game on the night of the murder with Shunari, Aurora, Kioshi, Takao and Saito._

**(9): Kioshi's Testimony**

_Someone tried to break into Kioshi's room during Night Time._

**(10): Aurora's Key**

_Aurora's room key is scratched._

**(11): Fishing Wire**

_There is a roll of fishing line hidden in Aurora's room. Some of it has been used._

**(12): Signs of a Struggle**

_Cuts and bruises on the body suggest there was some kind of struggle._

**(13): Takao's Testimony**

_Bruising on the neck suggests Haruna was strangled twice._

**Above is the full evidence list... I'll move it to the trial chapter once I post it up. Speaking of the trial, I'm not as far into it as I had hoped, but I figured you guys had waited long enough :P (at least at this point the evidence is unlikely to change. On the off chance it does, I will let you guys know.)**

**Next Chapter: Trial One! Get ready! Any speculation as to who the killer might be?**


	8. Chapter 8 - Class Trial One Part I

**Trial time! It wasn't mentioned specifically in the investigation (which is my fault), but I want to reiterate that the setting here is the same as Dangan Ronpa (i.e. Toolkits/Sewing kits, shower door locks and no water at night are still around). Will this be significant? Read and find out!**

**For the record, I DID change one minor detail in the investigation - the 'evidence' that shows the nameplates have been tampered with is damage to the screws that bolt them in place (which I believe is slightly different from Dangan Ronpa, so... I guess the setting is not exactly the same after all :P).**

**In other news, we have an artist among us! In the spirit of the trial, Veltrops has drawn a super amazing mock-up of the trial room (only featuring three people, but more pictures are coming).**

**Link: fav|me/d71ztrk (replace the | with a .) There is also a link in my profile.**

**EVIDENCE LIST:**

**(1): Monokuma File**

_Victim: Takahashi Haruna. Time of Death: Close to 10 PM. Cause of Death: Strangulation._

**(2): Haruna's Key**

_Haruna's room key is scratched._

**(3): State of the Room**

_Haruna's room has been thoroughly cleaned._

**(4): Nameplates**

_The nameplates above Haruna, Aurora and Kioshi's doors have been tampered with._

**(5): Doors**

_The locks on Haruna and Kioshi's doors are broken._

**(6): Broken Locks**

_The broken locks are completely nonfunctional._

**(7): Rule #7**

_The added rule states 'Breaking into locked rooms is forbidden'._

**(8): Shunari's Testimony**

_Haruna played a poker game on the night of the murder with Shunari, Aurora, Kioshi, Takao and Saito._

**(9): Kioshi's Testimony**

_Someone tried to break into Kioshi's room during Night Time._

**(10): Aurora's Key**

_Aurora's room key is scratched._

**(11): Fishing Wire**

_There is a roll of fishing line hidden in Aurora's room. Some of it has been used._

**(12): Signs of a Struggle**

_Cuts and bruises on the body suggest there was some kind of struggle._

**(13): Takao's Testimony**

_Bruising on the neck suggests Haruna was strangled twice._

**Now, let's get this show on the road.**

* * *

_Court is now in session!_

* * *

MONOKUMA: Okay, you bastards! Let's begin!

MONOKUMA: In this Super High School Level Trial, you must come to an agreement over who to accuse as the killer of Takahashi Haruna!

MONOKUMA: Accuse the correct person, and that person alone will face a punishment! However, accuse the wrong person...

MONOKUMA: And the real killer goes free! I will execute the rest of you bastards in their place!

SHUNARI: Hey, Monokuma... What is that thing?

MONOKUMA: Oh, that picture? Just a little commemoration of your classmate, of course! I can't have you bastards forgetting about the dead!

MONOKUMA: Upupu... And now I'm answering questions, do you bastards have anything else you want to know?

HISOKA: Yes... I want to clarify something. Is it really true that one of us here committed the murder?

MONOKUMA: Oh, boy... There's someone every time, isn't there?

MONOKUMA: Okay, listen up! I'll only say this once! **One person here participated in the murder of Takahashi Haruna.**

ERIKA: How specific... do you mean to say that there was no accomplice?

MONOKUMA: Upupu... I meant exactly what I said.

REI: B-But how are we supposed to catch the killer? I don't even know where to begin...

IZANAGI: Simple! I will interrogate everyone... You cannot hide your secrets from me!

ICHIGO: Even when the culprits life hangs in the balance? If you think that will work, you are mistaken...

MONOKUMA: As much as I love innovation, if I were you bastards I'd discuss the case together, and reach a conclusion that way!

SHUNARI: Alright, that sounds like a good plan! What should we discuss first?

...

...

...

SHUNARI: ... A-anyone?

MONOKUMA: Upupu... Do you bastards want me to start you off? If you really needed a starting point, you should have said so!

MONOKUMA: Why don't you start with a recap of the killer's movements?

KURODA: (Alright... I'll have to point out anything that contradicts what I already know.)

KURODA: (If we're led to the wrong conclusion... We'll all be killed.)

_Nonstop debate is about to begin. Weak points are underlined, and break points are **bolded and underlined**. To begin with there is only one bullet loaded, but more will be added later._

* * *

_Nonstop Debate!_

_Ammunition: **Kioshi's Testimony**_

SHUNARI: The culprit waited until after Night Time started...

SHUNARI: That way, they wouldn't be seen.

ICHIGO: The culprit chose their target, and went **straight to Haruna's room.**

REI: T-They went inside...

REI: And then strangled her!

KURODA: **You've got that wrong!**

* * *

KURODA: Haruna wasn't the inital target. The culprit went somewhere else first.

REI: S-Someone else was attacked!? Who?

KURODA: It was Kioshi... The culprit tried to break into his room.

KIOSHI: What he says is true. I was awake at the time, so I managed to barricade the door.

KIOSHI: They almost got in, but eventually they backed off.

KIOSHI: I guess Haruna wasn't so lucky...

SHUNARI: Did you see the killer? Do you know who it is?

KIOSHI: No, I'm sorry... I didn't see anything.

AKEMI: Hold on a minute. How do we know that the culprit went to Kioshi's room first?

TAKAO: It's common sense, Akemi. If they managed to get into Haruna's room, there is no reason to try and break into Kioshi's room.

TAKAO: You only need to kill once to graduate. Why murder again, and increase your chances of being caught?

AKEMI: Right. I suppose that makes sense...

SAITO: So, we know the culprit tried to get into Kioshi's room but failed. What happened next?

* * *

_Nonstop Debate!_

_Ammunition: **Signs of a Struggle**_

SAITO: After the culprit failed to get into Kioshi's room...

SAITO: They entered Haruna's room instead.

DAISUKI: Once inside, they saw that Haruna was sleeping.

DAISUKI: The culprit had the element of surprise, so **she died without a fight...**

KURODA: **You've got that wrong!**

* * *

KURODA: Did you take a look at Haruna's body?

DAISUKI: Yeah, I spent the whole time watching her body. So what?

KURODA: Take a look. Her body was covered in small cuts and bruises.

TAKAO: They were freshly inflicted, too. They would have been sustained in the past 24 hours.

DAISUKI: And you think she got those while fighting with the culprit?

KURODA: She spent the night before the murder playing poker.

KURODA: Unless they were playing a really violent version, there's no way she would sustain that kind of injury from it.

DAISUKI: Ah... I guess you're right. It does seem strange to think Haruna wouldn't fight back.

IZANAGI: Wait! Don't make such a hasty conclusion!

DAISUKI: What?

IZANAGI: You and Hayashi are both mistaken. I've seen this kind of case before, in the prisons...

IZANAGI: Those wounds are easily explained. Takahashi may have struggled, but there was no fight before she was killed!

KURODA: (No, I'm sure there was a fight. There's evidence that proves it.)

KURODA: (He must have made some kind of mistake... I just have to find it!)

* * *

_Nonstop Debate!_

_Ammunition: **Takao's Testimony**_

TOMOE: Haruna was strangled, right?

IZANAGI: Correct! Death by strangulation is not immediate.

IZANAGI: Takahashi woke up during the attack...

IZANAGI: And sustained her injuries from trying to fight off her assailant!

IZANAGI: There was no struggle... Takahashi died in the culprit's **sole attack!**

KURODA: **You've got that wrong!**

* * *

KURODA: Actually, there is proof that Haruna fought with her killer.

IZANAGI: And what might that be?

KURODA: Takao found bruising around her throat. Haruna was strangled with thread, but she was also strangled with something else.

KURODA: If the culprit had to strangle her twice to kill her, she would have definitely had the opportunity to fight back.

IZANAGI: Not necessarily!

KURODA: Huh?

IZANAGI: I'm sure I do not need to remind you, but wounds can be inflicted after death.

IZANAGI: If the culprit wished to mislead us about what weapon was used, they could have easily strangled her corpse to fake the cause of death.

IZANAGI: Matsuda! Were you able to find out if the injuries were inflicted post mortem?

TAKAO: That is a bit beyond me, unfortunately. I'm not a coroner, so I can't determine when the injuries were sustained.

TAKAO: It's not all bad, though. After all, you don't need to be a medical expert to know the wounds were not faked.

IZANAGI: Ah? Some kind of special technique?

TAKAO: Of sorts, yes... I like to call it critical thinking.

IZANAGI: Critical... thinking...?

IZANAGI: I have not heard of this! Please, explain yourself!

TAKAO: Let's leave the lesson for later, yes? For now, just try and think about this...

TAKAO: Why try to mask the murder method, if you are just going to use a similar method to cover it up?

TAKAO: If I were the culprit, I would have gone for something flashier to distract from the fact she was strangled.

IZANAGI: Hm... I understand your point! But this is still not making any sense to me!

IZANAGI: If not to cover the real method of death, what possible reason would the culprit have for strangling her twice?

ERIKA: Heh heh heh...

IZANAGI: Tsukasa, we are in a murder trial! This is hardly the time to be laughing!

ERIKA: Oh, don't mind me. I was just waiting on what Kuroda was about to say.

ERIKA: So please, continue. Why was she strangled twice?

KURODA: Huh? Why me?

ERIKA: Such an unusual occurrence does not simply happen by chance. In other words, there was a reason Haruna was strangled twice.

ERIKA: Pointing out contradictions is easy enough... However, a truly skilled detective can draw a conclusion from the evidence provided.

KURODA: (I'm not sure when I suddenly became a detective, but I had better answer the question.)

KURODA: (What is the reason she was strangled a second time...?)

* * *

_Select!_

_- The culprit hated her_

**_- The culprit failed to kill her_**

_- There were two culprits_

KURODA: **This is it!**

* * *

KURODA: The culprit strangled her twice... because they needed to. Once wasn't enough.

AURORA: You mean... the culprit didn't kill her at first?

KURODA: Yes, Haruna survived one attempt on her life. That's why there's no way she didn't fight back!

IZANAGI: That's certainly a possibility, Hayashi...

IZANAGI: But I will only accept that as an explanation if you can answer my question!

IZANAGI: Assuming there was a struggle, you are claiming the culprit was stronger than Takahashi as they were able to kill her even after failing once.

IZANAGI: So why did the culprit fail? If they were truly stronger than her, why did they need to do it twice?

KURODA: It's because the culprit wasn't just relying on their strength to murder Haruna.

IZANAGI: They were relying on something else...? But surely physical strength is all that's needed for a murder like this!

AURORA: A crutch for the murder...?

AURORA: Ah, I got it! It was the murder weapon caused the culprit to fail, right?

KURODA: Exactly. From the mark left on her neck, we can guess it's a thin piece of thread. It's not hard to imagine something like that snapping.

KURODA: When it broke they weren't able to use it as a murder weapon any more, so they had to strangle her a second time to finish the job.

IZANAGI: Very well. I concede defeat...

IZANAGI: Haruna did indeed have a fight with her killer.

TOMOE: Hmm... so are there two murder weapons, then?

TAKAO: I can answer that... Depending on how you look at it, yes and no.

TOMOE: I don't think I follow...

TAKAO: I agree with Kuroda. I think the murder weapon was rendered useless after the first attempt at strangling her, so the culprit was forced to improvise.

TAKAO: They used something to strangle Haruna the second time, but these 'weapons' are not actual weapons in and of themselves...

MIHARU: **Hands!**

IZANAGI: Kato! I appreciate your enthusiasm, but there is no need to shout!

MIHARU: Oh, sorry. Force of habit.

TOMOE: Hands...? What do you mean?

MIHARU: When the murder weapon broke, they were left with no useable weapon...

MIHARU: So they used what they had available to them. In other words, they used their bare hands to strangle Haruna.

TOMOE: Oh, that makes sense...

HISOKA: Hmph. You shouldn't agree with them so quickly.

TOMOE: Why not? It sounded reasonable enough.

HISOKA: That doesn't mean it happened that way. They haven't proven anything.

KURODA: Huh?

HISOKA: All this about the weapon breaking is just speculation, and is thus meaningless... Do you have something to back up your claim?

KURODA: W-Well... It's likely, don't you think?

HISOKA: 'Likely' won't cut it here. We can't say anything for sure if there is no evidence.

HISOKA: In fact, we don't even know what the murder weapon is. We haven't seen any proof yet.

KURODA: (He's right... We won't get anywhere without proof.)

KURODA: (Do I have evidence I can use to show what the weapon was...?)

AKEMI: Don't worry... I think I know what the murder weapon was.

KURODA: R-Really?

HISOKA: And do you have evidence to back it up...?

AKEMI: Not exactly... but hear me out, and I'm sure you'll agree it's an option.

KURODA: Actually, I had my own theory about the murder weapon too...

AKEMI: Well then, why don't we see if great minds think alike?

AKEMI: Let's test our theories against each other. I'll go first, if you don't mind.

KURODA: (There's no way she knows about that evidence we found... I'm sure I know what the real weapon is.)

KURODA: (I'll have to hear her out... and prove her wrong!)

* * *

_Nonstop Debate!_

_Ammunition: **Fishing Wire**_

AKEMI: I searched everywhere I could think of for a potential murder weapon...

KIOSHI: A long, thin thread... Something we now know snapped halfway through the murder.

KIOSHI: Surely something like that can't be hard to find?

AKEMI: I looked. There was nothing in the building that could be used.

AKEMI: However, there is a source of this kind of thread that everyone has access to...

AURORA: Oh! I know!

AURORA: The murder weapon was **hair!**

KURODA: **You've got that wrong!**

* * *

KURODA: Hair is much too weak to strangle someone with... It would snap almost immediately.

AURORA: Well, do you have a better alternative?

KURODA: I do. I believe the murder weapon was fishing line. I found a roll of it lying around.

AKEMI: Fishing line? I didn't find anything like that in the storage room.

AKEMI: Tell me, Kuroda. Where did you find that?

KURODA: It was hidden in a trashcan... in Aurora's room.

AURORA: What!?

AURORA: T-That's not funny, Kuroda! I've never seen that before!

MIHARU: Kuroda is telling the truth... I was there.

KIOSHI: Looks like you've been caught, Aurora. What was the murder weapon doing in your room?

AURORA: As if I would have put that there! I've been set up!

SAITO: You're the only person with access to your room... That makes it the perfect place to stash a murder weapon.

SAITO: Give it up! We've caught you now.

AURORA: But I'm not the culprit! You have to believe me!

IZANAGI: Save your spiel for the gallows!

IZANAGI: We should proceed to voting! Rouleau needs to pay for her crimes!

ERIKA: ...No. We are not done here yet.

DAISUKI: This is over, Erika! We've got a culprit, and we know how she did it!

ERIKA: If you really believe that... it is clear you are no logician. There are some rather gaping flaws that need to be addressed before I will vote on a culprit.

ERIKA: Please, let's discuss the flow of events again... these problems should make themselves clear.

KURODA: (This isn't good... If this keeps up, they are going to vote for Aurora!)

KURODA: (According to Erika, the errors lie in the flow of events... I need to find them, and fast.)

* * *

_Nonstop Debate!_

_Ammunition: **Monokuma File**_

IZANAGI: We have the murder weapon! The culprit armed themselves with fishing line!

MIHARU: So last night they looked for a victim, and tried to get to Kioshi...

ICHIGO: But they failed, and went to Haruna's room instead.

TOMOE: The culprit snuck up on her while **she was asleep...** and attacked her!

TAKAO: During the murder the line snapped...

KIOSHI: ... Thus forcing them to use their bare hands.

DAISUKI: Aurora! You did it, didn't you!?

KURODA: **You've got that wrong!**

* * *

KURODA: That can't be right... Take another look at the Monokuma File.

KURODA: The file says the time of death was close to 10 P.M.

KURODA: She played a poker game last night... How long did it go for?

SHUNARI: It would have been a while... we finished a bit before Night Time, but she stayed around to help me pack up.

KURODA: So in other words, she only returned to her room just before Night Time.

DAISUKI: Thank you, captain obvious. Get to the fuckin' point!

KURODA: If the culprit attacked her at that time, it would be minutes after she returned to her room.

KURODA: There's no way she would be asleep!

SAITO: Right! So she was awake, which is why there was a struggle!

MIHARU: But it would also be strange if Haruna was awake...

KURODA: What?

MIHARU: Think about when Kioshi was attacked... He was able to barricade the door because he heard the culprit trying to break the door down.

MIHARU: If Haruna was also awake... Why didn't she do the same?

KURODA: (Miharu has a point. It's an odd thing not to do.)

KURODA: (But still, there must be an explanation for it... right?)

* * *

_Nonstop Debate!_

_Ammunition: **Signs of a Struggle**_

MIHARU: Why didn't Haruna barricade the door? **We have no explanation for her behaviour.**

AKEMI: I think it's still possible she was asleep at the time...

AKEMI: Maybe she just went to sleep immediately?

HISOKA: Don't be ridiculuous. We know she was awake for the attack...

HISOKA: Unless you can prove otherwise?

AKEMI: It's like Miharu said... if she was awake, she would have protected herself.

KURODA: **I concur!**

* * *

KURODA: Miharu is right. The important thing is she didn't notice the culprit breaking in, but we don't know why.

SHUNARI: Alright, so why don't we discuss it, then?

HISOKA: Haven't you been listening? We've already gone over the possibilities.

HISOKA: She couldn't have been sleeping, but it makes no sense if she was awake.

HISOKA: Unless there is another explanation, we are wasting our time.

ERIKA: Heh heh heh.

DAISUKI: Would you quit laughing already?

ERIKA: I apologise. I couldn't help myself... It's amusing to see those with inferior intelligence stumble over solutions.

AKEMI: We've missed something...? Do you have the answer to this dilemma?

ERIKA: That is correct. Please, listen carefully.

ERIKA: Simply put, both sides have merit. It in inconceivable that she was asleep, but it is difficult to explain why she didn't barricade the door.

SAITO: That doesn't tell us anything new. I though you had a solution to this?

ERIKA: Now, now. Have a little patience, and I will get to it. After all, I said difficult to explain, not impossible.

ERIKA: Please, think logically for a moment... once the pieces are laid out before you, it is simple to piece them together.

ERIKA: We know three things without doubt. **Haruna was awake in her room**, and **she would have noticed an attempt to break in**. Nevertheless, somehow **the culprit gained access to her room.**

ERIKA: You look like you know the answer, Kuroda. Why didn't she notice the culprit break into her room?

* * *

_Select!_

**_- The culprit was already inside_**

_- The culprit broke in quietly_

_- Haruna is deaf_

KURODA: **This is it!**

* * *

KURODA: The only way she wouldn't have noticed a break in... is if it had already occurred.

ICHIGO: The culprit was already inside the room?

KURODA: Yes... The culprit broke in earlier in the day before Haruna ever went to her room, and hid themselves.

KURODA: That way, they were able to attack her after she had already entered her room.

MIHARU: **That's... incorrect.**

MIHARU: Have you forgotten about the evidence we've gathered already, Kuroda?

MIHARU: There is an obvious contradiction between what we know, and what you say happened.

KURODA: Huh?

MIHARU: Don't tell me you've forgotten about it... Fine, I'll explain.

MIHARU: Monokuma's additional rule states **'it is forbidden to break into locked rooms'**. And yet, you say someone broke into Haruna's room in order to commit the murder.

MIHARU: It simply couldn't have happened. Monokuma told us that no rules have been broken.

MIHARU: There's no point continuing down this line of discussion. We should start over, and discuss something else...

KURODA: But we can't just ignore this... There has to be way for the break in to be possible!

KURODA: (It seems impossible... but we're on the right track, I can feel it!)

KURODA: (I'll prove to her there's a solution...!)

* * *

_Cross Swords!_

_Useable Swords: **Rule #7**_

MIHARU: The culprit couldn't have br==/==oken into the room beforehand...

MIHARU: Remember the rule! Breaking in ==/== is forbidden!

MIHARU: If it happened as y==/==ou say, the culprit would have breached the rules!

MIHARU: Monokuma must be ==/== lying. It's the only way...

...

**DEVELOPMENT!**

...

KURODA: Why would Monokuma lie to us?

KURODA: If Aurora couldn't commit the murder, then she isn't the culprit.

MIHARU: This isn't just about Au==/==rora. No one is exempt from the rule.

MIHARU: If Monokuma is telling the truth, then this is an ==/== impossible murder!

MIHARU: **This murder couldn't be committed without breaking the seventh rule!**

KURODA: **I'll cut that claim into pieces!**

* * *

KURODA: Miharu... Think about the rule again.

MIHARU: "Breaking into locked rooms is forbidden." What is this supposed to prove to me?

KURODA: I'm not proving anything here. I need you to notice something.

MIHARU: Well, I'm not seeing it...

KURODA: Haven't you noticed? The wording is very specific.

KURODA: Rules can be enforced, but they don't cover everything. It's possible to work around them if there is a **loophole**.

MIHARU: A... loophole?

KURODA: We can't dispute the fact that the locks on Haruna and Kioshi's doors are broken.

KURODA: But if the culprit found a way to bypass the rule, Monokuma wouldn't punish them for breaking in.

HISOKA: Kuroda... I hope you're not throwing those assertions around randomly.

HISOKA: It's nice of you to say... but evidence is paramount in this trial. If there is truly a loophole available, then tell us what it is.

KURODA: (Think, Kuroda! There must be a way around it...)

KURODA: (How could you break a lock without breaking the rule...?)

* * *

_Epiphany Anagram!_

U/N/_/_/_/_/E/D

...

...

...

U/N/_/O/_/_/E/D

...

...

...

U/N/_/O/_/K/E/D

...

...

...

U/N/_/O/C/K/E/D

...

...

...

U/N/L/O/C/K/E/D

KURODA: **I figured it out!**

* * *

KURODA: "Breaking into locked rooms is forbidden..." Notice how it only specifies locked rooms.

KURODA: So while it's against the rules to break the lock on a locked room, there is no problem with breaking a lock as long as the room itself isn't locked.

AURORA: That... That's genius! So that's how the culprit managed to work around the rule!

ERIKA: Heh heh heh...

ERIKA: While I admit that it's a valid loophole, it is not necessarily one that works in practice.

ERIKA: In this case, you should remember there are two separate instances that need to be explained.

ERIKA: I am, of course, talking about not only the breaking of Haruna's lock, but Kioshi's lock as well.

ERIKA: We know Kioshi was inside his room when the break in occurred, so unless he attests otherwise we know that the door was locked in that case.

KIOSHI: Of course it was locked!

KIOSHI: What kind of dumbass would forget to lock their door?

ERIKA: Which leaves us with a contradiction, but please ignore it for now. There's a much more important question...

ERIKA: If this loophole was used it would, of course, require Haruna's door to be unlocked, but Haruna herself is the only person we know of in possession of a key capable of unlocking her room.

ERIKA: The door was indeed broken, so we must assume that it was unlocked. And yet Haruna - along with her key - were found inside the room.

ERIKA: If the only key was inside, how was the culprit able to unlock Haruna's room?

AKEMI: Say... what if she just forgot to lock her door?

AKEMI: Personal rooms being locked is the norm, so it's not unthinkable the culprit didn't think to try the door and just broke in anyway.

TAKAO: That's a very risky move. Monokuma had already made it clear at that point he wouldn't tolerate breaking of rules.

TAKAO: If the culprit knew about the loophole, the logical thing to do would be to check the door to see if it's unlocked.

AKEMI: And if the culprit didn't know about the loophole, but went against the rule anyway...?

MONOKUMA: I would have taken action! No one that stupid deserves to live!

REI: T-that's horrible! T-they wouldn't have even broken a rule!

MONOKUMA: Eh? Are you trying to take the moral high ground?

MONOKUMA: Don't waste your time! It's not like it actually happened!

SAITO: Okay, so that's no good... Maybe Haruna let them in herself?

DAISUKI: On a night like that...? Who'd be that stupid?

SAITO: Hmph! You at least have to admit it's possible!

ICHIGO: No, I don't think so. It's clear that didn't happen if you know what kind of person she was.

SAITO: And how about you tell me directly, instead of fucking around?

ICHIGO: F-fine... just listen, okay?

ICHIGO: I can tell Haruna was very suspicious of strangers... after only 3 days, she wouldn't consider anyone a true friend.

ICHIGO: In combination with the motive, if someone came knocking during night time I doubt she'd answer the door, much less actually letting them inside her room.

SAITO: ...That's true, I guess.

SAITO: So if it wasn't Haruna who unlocked it, then perhaps there's another loophole in the rule?

REI: Is there even another loophole...?

TOMOE: Oh! I have one!

REI: R-really? That was fast...

TOMOE: I think it's a good one! Breaking in is not allowed, but the rule doesn't say anything about breaking the lock itself, right?

TOMOE: So the culprit broke the lock, but didn't enter the room!

KIOSHI: It could explain why the culprit stopped trying to enter my room after breaking the lock...

HISOKA: Yeah, but that doesn't really help us with Haruna's room.

HISOKA: What would be the point of breaking the lock if you can't even go into the room?

TOMOE: Hmm... Psychological scare tactic?

HISOKA: To scare her into what? Running out of her room?

TOMOE: O-oh, yeah. I suppose you're right...

ERIKA: Heh heh heh. I impress even myself with my ability to stimulate discussion, but to tell the truth... that was simply a rhetorical question.

KURODA: (...Are you kidding me?)

ERIKA: I have come up with a solution to this problem. Please, listen carefully.

* * *

_Nonstop Debate!_

_Ammunition: **Nameplates**_

ERIKA: To unlock her door, the culprit simply took Haruna's key off her body...

ERIKA: This is only possible if Haruna was killed somewhere else.

SHUNARI: Not so fast! That makes no sense!

SHUNARI: Haruna was playing poker with a group of us, remember?

SHUNARI: We didn't finish packing up until just before night time...

SHUNARI: **Haruna would have gone straight to her room!**

KURODA: **You've got that wrong!**

* * *

KURODA: Of course she would have gone to her room... It was night time, after all.

KURODA: However, that doesn't mean she didn't end up somewhere else.

SHUNARI: But how is that possible? The dorm rooms are clearly marked, so there's no way you could mistake whose room is whose.

KURODA: That's what you'd think... But that's exactly what happened.

SHUNARI: Haruna... made a mistake?

KURODA: While it's true that every room is marked with a nameplate... but other than that, each door has no other identifying features.

KURODA: The nameplates are screwed into place. With the proper tools, it would be simple for someone to exchange the nameplates on the doors.

MIHARU: And if you look at the nameplate on Haruna's door, the screws have become slightly damaged. It's as if someone was unscrewing the nameplates while in a hurry...

AURORA: And to do that, you'd need a screwdriver, right?

AURORA: The guys got one of those in their toolkits! The culprit must have been male!

ERIKA: Please, try to stay on topic. Matters of who the culprit is will resolve themselves once the method is made clear.

AURORA: Alright, alright. So you were saying how the nameplates were swapped?

TAKAO: That's right. The culprit switched Haruna's nameplate with a different one, leading her believe that somebody else's room belonged to her...

TAKAO: That is to say, a **room swap** occurred that night.

REI: Y-you mean Haruna's room... isn't really Haruna's room?

ERIKA: It wasn't on the night of the murder, no. She was lured into someone else's room thinking it was her own, where she was attacked and killed.

ERIKA: Everyone only has access to their own room, thus it is safe to assume that the culprit's room is the real crime scene.

TOMOE: And if she was killed somewhere else then moved, then the room we found her in wasn't the real crime scene... I think.

TOMOE: All this room swapping stuff is confusing me. Whose room was Haruna found in?

MIHARU: Is there even a way to tell? Obviously, nameplates are unreliable.

MIHARU: After what the culprit did... That could be anyone's room.

DAISUKI: What the culprit did...? What the hell are you on about, Miharu?

KURODA: (I know this one. She must be talking about that piece of evidence...)

* * *

_Present Evidence!_

_1| Monokuma File_

_2| Haruna's Key_

**_3| State of the Room_**

_4| Nameplates_

_5| Doors_

_6| Broken Locks_

_7| Rule #7_

_8| Shunari's Testimony_

_9| Kioshi's Testimony_

_10| Aurora's Key_

_11| Fishing Wire_

_12| Signs of a Struggle_

_13| Takao's Testimony_

KURODA: **This is it!**

* * *

KURODA: The room we found Haruna in had been thoroughly cleaned. If it wasn't, we might have been able to tell whose room it was by the hair on the floor...

DAISUKI: So there's no way to be sure whose room it actually is...

DAISUKI: Shit! This is bad...

AURORA: C'mon! Cheer up, you guys!

AURORA: We might not know who's room it was, but we can definitely say the room was switched!

REI: We can...?

AURORA: Yup! Remember my deduction from earlier?

ICHIGO: That the culprit is male?

AURORA: That's the one! Because they got toolkits, we know if one is in the room then the room belongs to a guy.

TAKAO: And thus the inverse is true, too... The girls received sewing kits, so if one was in the room, then the owner is a girl.

IZANAGI: Well? Was a sewing kit found in Takahashi's room?

AURORA: Yes! I checked the drawer, and it was definitely in there!

AURORA: The murder occurred in a guy's room, but the room we found Haruna in belongs to a girl. There must have been a switch!

AURORA: Ha! How's THAT for a deduction!

HISOKA: ... And what if the culprit is female, assuming that a room swap even occurred? Then we still have no way to tell.

AURORA: But it has to be a male culprit! You need a screwdriver the change the nameplates...

HISOKA: And who told you that? I admit a screwdriver would be the easiest option, but if absolutely necessary there are other ways to get the job done.

HISOKA: Perhaps the damage to the screws is evidence the incorrect tool was used?

AURORA: T-That's...

KURODA: Wait, I think she was on the right track. The part about the room being switched, anyway.

KURODA: Suppose for a second it's true that Haruna was killed in another room. If her body was moved, that means there was no struggle in the room we found her.

KURODA: So why was the room still cleaned so thoroughly?

KURODA: The culprit wouldn't have bothered cleaning it if it was really Haruna's room. There would have been nothing strange about her hair being there.

KIOSHI: Okay... So then why was it cleaned?

KURODA: I... I think I can answer that question.

KIOSHI: Seriously...!? Then why'd you even ask!?

KURODA: The room was cleaned for a very specific purpose. The culprit wanted to remove evidence of someone being there.

KURODA: And that person was...

* * *

_Select!_

_- Haruna_

_- Monokuma_

**_- Someone else_**

KURODA: **This is it!**

* * *

KURODA: The culprit wouldn't have spend much time in the room, so they wouldn't need to clean the entire room if it was just remove evidence of themselves being there.

KURODA: They were removing evidence of another person being inside that room.

AURORA: Someone else was in there... so there really was an accomplice!?

DAISUKI: You don't need an accomplice to strangle someone, you idiot. They're clearly a witness to the murder!

KURODA: No, it's neither of those things. Monokuma already told us there was only one person involved in the murder.

REI: B-but then... how are they involved in this?

KURODA: Think about what we know. If another person apart from Haruna and the culprit had been in that room...

KURODA: Then there is another layer to this we haven't realised. There was a **third** person involved in the room swap.

SHUNARI: Three?

KURODA: We already know there were two room swaps that night. One before the murder occurred, to lure Haruna in, and one after, to move the body away from the real scene of the crime.

KURODA: However, we figured out that the room Haruna's body was moved into was not actually her own room. It couldn't have been the culprit's room either, as that was where the murder actually took place.

KURODA: Which leaves one last possibility that the culprit tried to hide. A third person's room was involved in the room switch that night, and they are the true owner of Haruna's room.

MIHARU: Hmm... Do you know who it is, Kuroda?

KURODA: Of course.

SAITO: Don't keep us waiting. **Who was originally in that room?**

* * *

_Select!_

_Hayashi Kuroda_

_Matsuda Takao_

_Miyuki Saito_

_Hatakeda Izanagi_

_Tsukasa Erika_

_Kosaka Ichigo_

_Takahashi Haruna_

_Yoshikawa Daisuki_

_Honda Akemi_

_Rouleau Aurora_

_Kangaeru Hisoka_

_Izuki Shunari_

_Mayaka Tomoe_

_Kato Miharu_

_Masaoka Kioshi_

_Suzuki Rei_

* * *

**To be continued... do you know who it was? (And if you don't know, don't worry! The second part of the trial should clear things up.)**


	9. Chapter 9 - Class Trial One Part II

**It kinda sucks to end on a cliffhanger (especially considering how long i took to update...), but I feel like the choices are generally good places to end the chapter. Which means later trials will likely have cliffhangers too, so sorry about that.**

**Drawing number two by Veltrops has also been uploaded, with three more characters! I have to say, Saito's design is probably my favourite so far. (Link: fav|me/d738i4b, replace the "|" with an ".". I'll keep adding the links to my profile as he uploads them.)**

* * *

_Select!_

_Hatakeda Izanagi_

_Hayashi Kuroda_

_Honda Akemi_

_Izuki Shunari_

_Kangaeru Hisoka_

_Kato Miharu_

_Kosaka Ichigo_

_Masaoka Kioshi_

_Matsuda Takao_

_Mayaka Tomoe_

_Miyuki Saito_

_**Rouleau Aurora**_

_Suzuki Rei_

_Takahashi Haruna_

_Tsukasa Erika_

_Yoshikawa Daisuki_

KURODA: **This is it!**

* * *

KURODA: The room we found Haruna's body in really belongs to Aurora.

AURORA: She's in... my room?

KURODA: That's right. You couldn't have known, because the rooms were already exchanged by the time you went to your room that night.

SAITO: So, in other words Aurora never actually stepped into her own room that night...

AURORA: Okay, I can accept that... I think.

AURORA: But if I wasn't in my room, then whose room did I sleep in?

KURODA: You and Haruna share similar interests, and your rooms are next to each other.

KURODA: I think it's fairly safe to say that the room you were in belonged to Haruna.

HISOKA: I hope you have something to back that up? You'll need to provide evidence to prove both points.

* * *

_Present Evidence x2!_

_1| Monokuma File_

_2| **Haruna's Key**_

_3| State of the Room_

_4| Nameplates_

_5| Doors_

_6| Broken Locks_

_7| Rule #7_

_8| Shunari's Testimony_

_9| Kioshi's Testimony_

_10| **Aurora's Key**_

_11| Fishing Wire_

_12| Signs of a Struggle_

_13| Takao's Testimony_

KURODA: **This is it!**

* * *

KURODA: Haruna and Aurora's keys... both of them have a scratch on them.

HISOKA: And what is this supposed to prove? Shoddy craftsmanship is none of my concern.

KURODA: It's not that. Don't you find it suspicious that both keys were damaged in exactly the same place?

KURODA: How the scratches got there are important, because they were gotten from performing a very specific action.

KURODA: Because the keys are damaged in the same place, we can say that action was done to both keys, too...

HISOKA: And what might this action be?

ERIKA: Isn't it obvious? The key was removed from the keyring, and in doing so caused the nametag to become damaged.

TAKAO: Well, it's certainly a plausible theory... and a simple one to test. Who wants to volunteer their key for an experiment?

TOMOE: Ooh, me! I love testing!

TOMOE: So I just have to take the key off the nametag, right...?

KURODA: (We all watched as Tomoe struggled to remove the nametag from the keyring.)

KURODA: (After some time she managed to get it off, and held it up for inspection.)

SHUNARI: Hey, it's got a scratch! Just like the other keys!

HISOKA: It seems your theory is correct after all. These keys have indeed been switched.

TOMOE: So Haruna was in Aurora's room, and Aurora was in Haruna's room!

DAISUKI: **I've had enough of this bullshit.**

DAISUKI: That only proves the keys were switched. So fucking what?

KURODA: Huh?

DAISUKI: That fact doesn't change anything!

DAISUKI: If the two of them swapped rooms, then there isn't any need for a third person. We already know that she is the killer!

KURODA: There's still more to this murder, Daisuki. I'm sure of it.

DAISUKI: How much more fucking evidence do you need? We have enough to say she did it!

* * *

_Cross Swords!_

_Useable Swords: **Shunari's Testimony**_

DAISUKI: The room swap ==/== doesn't change the culprit.

DAISUKI: It makes ==/== the murder possible...

DAISUKI: Just more pr==/==oof that Aurora is the killer!

DAISUKI: There's still evidence whi==/==ch shows she did it.

...

**DEVELOPMENT!**

...

KURODA: Evidence... that shows she is the killer?

KURODA: Is that really true?

DAISUKI: It's the fishing line that the culprit ==/== tried to strangle Haruna with!

DAISUKI: The roll the fishing li==/==ne came from was hidden in her room.

DAISUKI: Obviously, Aurora is the only one w==/==ho has a key to her room.

DAISUKI: **No one else could have accessed Aurora's room!**

KURODA: **I'll cut that claim into pieces!**

* * *

KURODA: That's not true... in fact, there were a few people who were able to get ahold of Aurora's key.

DAISUKI: I don't believe that... Tell me who!

MIHARU: Last night, a group of students were playing a game of poker. Amongst the stakes they used, each of them had to forfeit their room keys.

SHUNARI: It was a pretty even game. I think at some point in the night everyone had hoarded pretty much all the stakes.

SHUNARI: Even if they didn't win them fairly...

SAITO: Don't look at me like that, Shunari! You can't prove anything!

KURODA: Besides... if there were only two rooms involved, there's no reason to do the room swap at all.

DAISUKI: Okay, fine... so someone else could have done it. Where does that leave us?

MIHARU: The players in that game were Haruna, Aurora, Shunari, Saito, Kioshi and Takao.

REI: A-And from the sounds of it, anyone could have taken her keys...

IZANAGI: The culprit must have been among the six! We should interrogate them to discern their movements!

ICHIGO: Wait a second. We know there were three people involved in the room switch, right?

ICHIGO: There's something I don't get...

* * *

_Nonstop Debate!_

_Ammunition: **Haruna's Key**_

ICHIGO: If Aurora and Haruna were in each other's rooms...

ICHIGO: Then who did the third person swap with?

ERIKA: Kuroda said there were two room swaps...

ERIKA: The culprit may have **moved back into** **their own room.**

DAISUKI: Just because someone else could have done it, don't discount Aurora...

DAISUKI: If she did it, there is no third person!

KURODA: **I concur!**

* * *

KURODA: I agree with Erika. The culprit did change the rooms around, but at the end of the night they must have moved back into their own room.

AKEMI: But why would they do something like that?

KURODA: Eh?

AKEMI: Why do all this switching when you're just going to go back into your own room?

AKEMI: I mean, if the culprit's room is the real crime scene, why not try and pretend that was her room?

AKEMI: It fits the narrative they constructed more if she was killed in her own room...

ERIKA: Try and think for yourself for a change... It's fairly obvious the culprit couldn't do that.

ERIKA: They planned the room switch accordingly. There's a very good reason they couldn't disguise their own room as Haruna's.

ERIKA: Tell her, Kuroda. What was it?

KURODA: (The reason they had to move the body... It's on the tip of my tongue...!)

* * *

_Epiphany Anagram!_

_/_/_/_/

...

...

...

M/_/_/_/

...

...

...

M/A/_/_/

...

...

...

M/A/L/_/

...

...

...

M/A/L/E/

KURODA: **I figured it out!**

* * *

KURODA: It's as Aurora has been saying... The culprit was male.

AURORA: See? I don't really know what Kuroda is on about, but he agrees with me!

AURORA: Why wouldn't you guys believe me?

SAITO: You were a murder suspect, remember? As if we would believe anything that came out of your mouth...

DAISUKI: Enough banter. Get on with it, Kuroda!

KURODA: Right... If you remember, Monokuma gave each of us a kit in our rooms. The guys were given toolkits, while the girls were given sewing kits.

KURODA: A male culprit wouldn't have been able leave Haruna in their own room, because of the toolkit in the room.

KURODA: And if we found a female victim in a male's room... It makes no sense.

KURODA: If they wanted to hide the fact a room swap occurred, they couldn't leave such an obvious contradiction.

SHUNARI: But the toolkits and the sewing kits aren't exactly nailed down.

SHUNARI: Couldn't you just move them?

ERIKA: You could, but you are forgetting that isn't the only measure we can use to determine the gender of the room owner...

MIHARU: **The bathroom locks!**

REI: M-Miharu! Please don't shout...

MIHARU: Oh, sorry.

MIHARU: I'm not sure if you're aware, but us girls have locks on the bathroom doors.

MIHARU: Even if the culprit switched the kits around, the fact there was no lock on the bathroom door means we would have known something was up immediately.

MIHARU: Well... either that, or we would have thought Haruna was secretly a man. Who knows.

TAKAO: Oh no, she's not. Trust me, I checked.

SAITO: You checked? That's... kinda gross. And way too much information.

TAKAO: Hey, I have to be thorough. If you want to be the one checking out the body next time, be my guest.

IZANAGI: Do not imply there will be a next time, Matsuda! I will personally make sure no further murders occur!

ERIKA: Heh heh heh. How heroic... but please, do not make promises you cannot keep.

ERIKA: Anyway, now is not the time for this discussion. We are closing in on the culprit.

IZANAGI: Right! If the culprit is male, that halves our suspect list!

MIHARU: One of Shunari, Kioshi and Takao...

ERIKA: It is really quite simple if you think about it.

ERIKA: Pulling off the room switch must stay within the realms of plausibility. Thus, the change must have been subtle enough so that Haruna and Aurora would not notice it.

AKEMI: I get it. We can then deduce that the culprit's room was **close by**...

KURODA: (This is it...!)

KURODA: (The one whose room is nearby... the culprit must have been them!)

* * *

_Make an Accusation!_

_Hatakeda Izanagi_

_Hayashi Kuroda_

_Honda Akemi_

_Izuki Shunari_

_Kangaeru Hisoka_

_Kato Miharu_

_Kosaka Ichigo_

_**Masaoka Kioshi**_

_Matsuda Takao_

_Mayaka Tomoe_

_Miyuki Saito_

_Rouleau Aurora_

_Suzuki Rei_

_Takahashi Haruna_

_Tsukasa Erika_

_Yoshikawa Daisuki_

KURODA: **It could only be you!**

* * *

KIOSHI: Y-you're... you're accusing me?

KIOSHI: That's insane! I couldn't have committed the murder. Someone tried to break into my room, remember?

ERIKA: Ah yes, that story... Unfortunately, the only thing we have to go by is your word, and the broken lock.

ERIKA: With the loophole in mind, it is simple for you to fabricate both of these things.

KIOSHI: Oi, my life was in danger... Would I really make something like that up?

ICHIGO: Erika is right. Your life was in danger, but not because someone attacked you.

ICHIGO: It's because you needed us to buy your story, right...?

ICHIGO: In these circumstances, anything could be a lie. People will go to great lengths to cover up a murder.

KIOSHI: And who asked you, you fucking waste of space!?

KIOSHI: I had nothing to do with the murder! Nothing!

KURODA: (I think we're getting closer to the truth...!)

* * *

_Machinegun Talk Battle!_

_Ammunition: **Nameplates**_

KIOSHI: Why the hell are you accusing me?

KIOSHI: Don't fuck around!

KIOSHI: You're pathetic! Pathetic!

KIOSHI: Aurora's the suspicious one here! Accuse her!

KIOSHI: Why the hell would I need to switch rooms!?

KIOSHI: I'm a victim here!

KIOSHI: Are you forgetting the culprit tried to break in?

KIOSHI: I was stuck in my room the whole night!

* * *

_Fire the Killshot!_

* * *

KIOSHI: **I didn't switch rooms with anyone! There's no proof of that!**

KURODA: **You've got that wrong!**

* * *

KURODA: The nameplate on your door... The screws are damaged, same as Aurora and Haruna.

KURODA: If your room really wasn't included in the room switch, then why has the nameplate on your door been moved?

KIOSHI: Ha! I have no idea!

KIOSHI: All this room swap shit, it doesn't have anything to do with me. Anyone could have moved the nameplate on my door!

KIOSHI: **You have no evidence to prove I was involved!**

KURODA: You're right, we don't have any... but you still have some on you, don't you?

KIOSHI: W-What?

KURODA: According to our theory, the culprit must have still exchanged their keys, even if they did not permanently switch rooms.

KURODA: Show us your room key. If it has no scratch on it, then the whole thing falls apart.

HISOKA: What are you waiting for? Prove you're innocent... If you can.

KIOSHI: But... I... I...

KIOSHI: No! Forget it!

KIOSHI: I don't need to show you fucks anything!

KIOSHI: Aurora tried to break into my room! She did it! She's the one you should be after!

AURORA: Don't lie, Kioshi! It's over!

KIOSHI: Shut your fuckin useless mouth! You're the killer, not me!

KURODA: It's all coming together now...

ERIKA: So it would seem. Why don't we go over what happened, for clarity's sake?

* * *

_Climax Return!_

_Act One_

: The culprit played a game of poker earlier in the night, in order to get ahold of the student's room keys.

: They excused themselves from the game temporarily, taking the keys with them. Now with access to all three rooms, they planted the fishing line in what was going to be Aurora's room.

: Next, the culprit switched the keys around so Aurora had Haruna's key, the culprit had Aurora's key and Haruna had the culprit's key.

: Using a screwdriver from their room, the culprit moved the nameplates on the doors to reflect this change.

: Leaving 'Haruna's' room unlocked, they returned to the game.

_Act Two_

: As the game came to an end, Haruna stuck around to help clean up, leaving the culprit with ample opportunity to sneak into the still unlocked room, where they waited for her to come in.

: The plan worked. Aurora entered what she thought was her own room, and Haruna did the same. Catching her by surprise, the culprit started to strangle her...

: But before she died, the fishing line broke. Left with no choice, the culprit strangled her with their bare hands.

_Act Three_

: Taking Haruna's key, the culprit dragged her into the unoccupied room and cleaned the room of hair.

: Leaving her key on her body, the culprit smashed the lock to make it appear as if there had been a break in.

: The culprit then returned to their own room, doing the same to their door and then they moved back the nameplates so each person seemed to be in their own room.

: The trick complete, the culprit barricaded their door shut and waited until morning.

* * *

KURODA: The culprit... was **Kioshi**. You killed Takahashi Haruna!

* * *

**Does anyone happen to know what Naegi says at the end of MTB? I just used the Nonstop debate one because I wasn't sure.**

**But anyway, that brings us to the end of the first trial! I hope you enjoyed it. Honestly, I really didn't want Kioshi to be the culprit of this case, but I felt like he had the best reason for committing the murder.**

**Hindsight time: Looking back at the evidence list, the culprit was probably a little too blatant (imo it was clear it was either going to be Kioshi or Aurora from the start), and the method may not necessarily have worked as it hinged on Haruna entering her room despite it being unlocked for no apparent reason. Also, there were a couple of pieces of evidence I don't think I actually ended up using in the trial, so I should have worked them in somehow.**

**Other than that, I think it was an okay start to the trials. What do you guys think?**

**Next chapter: The execution!**


	10. Chapter 10 - Class Trial One End

**Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Next time the culprit won't be as obvious, I promise :P**

**Yet another drawing by Veltrops, this time with lots of people wearing red (read: Miharu, Kuroda and Aurora. Link: fav|me/d74bfw8, replace "|" with ".". As always, there is also a link on my profile.)**

* * *

"..." Kioshi gripped the stand in front of him tightly, head down, shaking slightly. "I..."

Izanagi crossed his arms, giving the hunter a contemptuous look. "The criminal has been caught. I request we proceed to voting."

"The end of trial is here, eh? Give me a minute, and we'll begin!" Clambering over the arms of his chair, Monokuma disappeared behind it. Although he was hidden from view, from the noises being produced Kuroda guessed he was rummaging around for something.

"Heh heh heh. I am better at this detective business than I had originally predicted..." A tense silence was broken by Erika murmuring to herself. "Perhaps it's time for a career change."

She called out to Monokuma. "Is now a good time? I wish to change my title to The Great Detective Erika."

"Grr... Changing titles again so soon?" The bear replied from behind the chair, irritated. "Have it your way, you bastard. I'll see what I can do."

"Not to rain on your parade... but isn't The Great Detective kind of a step down from Supreme Logician?" Kuroda ventured.

"But of course." She answered. "When switching professions, one must start from the bottom."

"I... see." Of course, he didn't actually understand at all, and it was quickly starting to look like any attempts to understand Erika were futile.

Monokuma reappeared, clutching a small gavel which he carefully placed on the armrest of his chair. At the same time, Kuroda felt his student ID vibrate from inside his pocket. "Okay, you bastards! I've uploaded a new program to your student IDs!"

As the bear promised, when Kuroda looked at his ID there was now a new program available in the menu. Opening it up, the screen simply displayed 16 square panels, a student's name and picture in each.

One in particular stood out him - Haruna's picture. Unlike the pictures of the others, which were all in colour, hers was in black and white. More noticeable, however, was the bloody red cross that had been drawn over her picture.

He had seen the picture before, and he didn't need to look up to know where - it was the same picture that Monokuma had substituted for the soccer player during the trial.

"Feast your eyes on the Monokuma voting system! It's designed for ease of use, but I'll explain it anyway!" Monokuma exclaimed. "Tap once to vote on which of your classmates is the culprit, and tap again to confirm. It's so simple, a soccer player could do it... too bad one of you bastards killed her! Ahahaha!"

Kuroda hesitated, half expecting a dig at how Monokuma had broken character. It never came.

He turned his attention back to the voting screen. Quickly locating Kioshi, he tapped it. Immediately it zoomed in so the hunter's picture filled up most of the screen. Along the bottom, a button appeared with the word 'Vote' written on it.

For a moment Kuroda's hand hovered over the vote button, struck by sudden doubt as Kioshi's face stared back at him.

What if they got the wrong person? What would happen then...?

Pushing his doubts away, he pressed the button. Upon doing so Kuroda noticed with a nervous jolt that the image briefly changed - it turned black and white with a bloody cross over it, same as Haruna - before returning to normal.

The reminder made Kuroda feel a little sick. Kioshi might have committed murder, but he was still sending the hunter to his death.

Realising his ID had automatically exited the voting program, he put it away and scanned the room. Although a good portion of the group were also standing around waiting, many of his classmates were still deliberating over who to vote for.

Eventually, one by one each of the remaining students case their votes. Akemi, Takao, Shunari, Ichigo, Hisoka, Rei... Tomoe was the final person to vote, giving Kioshi a scrutinising look before entering her choice.

"About time you bastards finished! The votes are coming in now!" Monokuma announced. He turned in his seat and looked up, drawing attention to the spinning slot machine situated above his chair.

After a few tense seconds, the slot machine settled on Kioshi. Immediately, confetti burst from the sides, accompanied by an overflow of coins pouring out of the machine.

"Congratulations, you bastards! You got it right!" The bear exclaimed, applauding them. "Kioshi is indeed the killer! After setting up his little trick with the rooms, he strangled poor, defenceless Haruna!"

"It's been a clean sweep, too!" He added. "A completely unanimous vote, even from the culprit himself!"

The knowledge they got the right person was a small comfort, although Kuroda couldn't bring himself to feel happy about it. After a pause, Shunari voiced what they were all thinking. "So... what happens now?"

"Well, as much as I'd like to jump straight into our very first execution, there's something I want to do first." Monokuma answered. "As you all know, I'm a bear who hates to leave loose ends hanging around!"

"What is there left to clean up?" Miharu asked. "You said yourself we got the culprit right..."

"The motive, of course! Don't you want to know why he committed the murder?" He turned to Kioshi. "Go on! enlighten us, you bastard!"

At first Kioshi didn't say anything, but under the gazes of the whole room he reluctantly began to speak. "It's not worth it. You wouldn't understand..." He trailed off.

Rei gave him a pleading look. "P-please, Kioshi... I-I'd like to know."

"Don't look at me like that!" He snapped, his expression becoming annoyed. "It's not like I have some grand motive. I didn't have any choice."

"W-What do you mean?" Rei seemed to wilt a little as Kioshi gave her an exasperated look, but she stood her ground. Eventually deciding it wasn't worth arguing, the hunter began to elaborate.

"It all started... No, it's all because of that gun..." Kioshi explained. "I knew Monokuma was being serious. If no one did anything, he was going to kill all of us."

"But... we agreed that it was all a bluff, right?" Tomoe pointed out.

"And who told you that? Aurora?" Kioshi said with a sigh. "You're a fool if you bought that. I'll bet you anything she's the one with the fast track sheet."

The quarterback opened her mouth to protest, but Kioshi ignored her.

"Can't you see? I had 48 hours to commit the perfect murder... Kill or be killed." The hunter continued. "If I screwed up, I was going to die. If I didn't kill anyone, I was going to die anyway. I had nothing to lose."

"What about the poker game? It was crucial to your plan." Takao asked. "Surely you couldn't have arranged that beforehand."

"Luck." Kioshi said, shrugging. "I was planning to ambush her, but I got the idea to change the rooms when someone wanted to play cards... Are you happy now?"

"Kioshi..." Aurora tried again, but she was ignored a second time.

"I made my attempt to graduate. That's all there is to it." He finished calmly. Closing his eyes, he turned away from the circle of students.

"Upupu... Tried, and failed." Monokuma added tauntingly. "Justice waits for no one, so let's get this execution started!"

As the bear finished speaking, Kuroda heard a mechanism spring to life. A small panel in the floor opened up, and a small podium rose out of the ground bearing a huge red button. Gleefully grabbing the gavel lying on the arm of his chair, Monokuma enthusiastically slammed the button.

* * *

_GAME OVER_

_Masaoka Kioshi has been found guilty._

_Commencing Execution._

_..._

_Alone on a plateau, Kioshi stands solemnly as thick shackles snap closed around his ankles, immoblizing him as a huge arcade machine falls into place and chain fences spring up, trapping him inside the arena._

_The game sparks to life and a screen appears, depicting a grassy field set against a cloudless blue sky and a single, lonely tree. In the top corner of the screen sits a small 8-bit representation of Kioshi._

* * *

_BEAR HUNT_

* * *

_Kioshi is handed a gun by Monokuma. Although plastic and brightly coloured, it is otherwise a perfect replica of a real handgun, but he is given no time to marvel at the weapon as the game begins._

_8-bit Monokumas fly quickly over the screen, but do not make it all the way across as they are expertly shot down one by one by the SHSL Hunter. A kill counter along the bottom of the screen quickly fills up, while an ammo gauge decreases at equal pace._

_10..._

_...20..._

_...30..._

_...40..._

_...50..._

_...60..._

_...70..._

_...80..._

_...90..._

_Taking a look at Kioshi's face, it is almost possible to forget he is in the midst of an execution. Pouring all of his focus into shooting down every Monokuma, for a moment he looks at peace..._

_And then, the counter fills to 99._

Click.

_Out of bullets, Kioshi is left to watch helplessly as the 100th Monokuma tauntingly floats across the screen and out of sight._

_Game over._

_The 8-bit Kioshi at the top of the screen flashes and disappears while another Monokuma pops out of the grass, letting out a silent, malicious snicker at his expense._

_Before Kioshi can react he is violently pulled away by the chains bound to his ankles, which drag him across the plateau, away from the giant arcade and straight into the waiting mouth of an ominous looking machine._

_The many parts of the contraption churn, shaking the ground with a series of loud, emphatic bangs. As quickly as it began the machine quickly grinds to a halt, and a conveyor belt attached to the far end of the machine starts up._

_The quiet whirring of the belt is so innocuous in comparison to the previous sounds the machine emitted it is unnerving. Eventually, a brand new case of bullets pops out, and is proudly presented to the onlooking students._

* * *

As the execution finished, without warning another picture stand popped out of the ground, occupying the space that Kioshi took for the class trial. Time seemed to stand still as the class simply stood and stared at what remained of the hunter.

Two of his classmates, dead... The despairing atmosphere was almost palpable, and under the pressure it created Kuroda's mind struggled to process the new developments.

Eventually, Erika broke the silence.

"Ah, executions." She reminisced, seemingly unaffected by the execution that had just occurred. "A little more... creative than what I am used to, but it still makes me feel nostalgic."

"We just watched Kioshi die, and that's all you have to say...?" Ichigo asked, taken aback.

"Of course, I am filled with sadness on Kioshi's behalf. Clearly he was not properly prepared to commit murder." Her usual smile did not disappear as she spoke, making her speech especially creepy to listen to. "Thus, he was executed a murderer. Very unfortunate. Perhaps he should have waited for the graduation after all..."

"He just died, and you're giving a fucking performance review?" Daisuki yelled angrily. "Is this some kind of fucking game to you!? Don't talk like you're better than him!"

The graffiti artist took a threatening step towards Erika, but in a flash Izanagi moved to protect the logician, standing in between the graffiti artist and his target.

"Violence is not permitted, Yoshikawa." Standing at full height the warden adopted an aggressive stance, clearly expecting a fight. "Stand down."

After giving Izanagi a long, hard stare he eventually obeyed, taking a step backwards. Of course, this didn't stop him from staring daggers at the logician.

"Thank you, Izanagi..." Erika said, meeting Daisuki's angry gaze over the warden's shoulder. "However, I must concede that Daisuki is correct."

"This was a game to me." She continued. "Who lived, or died... It was none of my concern."

"What do you mean - of course it's your concern! Wouldn't we have all been killed if Kioshi didn't...!" Shunari trailed off, unwilling to finish the sentence.

The logician did not respond, instead reaching inside her jacket. In one elegant motion, she pulled out her envelope and revealed its contents to the gathered students - the sheet of paper with 'fast track' written on it.

"Heh heh heh. Do you understand now?"

"W-what the hell?" Daisuki stammered, eyes wide. "So when you got the time extended..."

"Yes... I had nothing to gain from it." Her smile grew slightly wider. "I hope you have not been making unfounded judgements, Daisuki. Altruism is one of my defining traits."

"So that's why Monokuma reacted like that when you asked to extend the time..." Hisoka speculated. "...Hm, that's not right. I thought he didn't know who got the fast track sheet."

"Oh, I lied!" Monokuma said cheerfully. "I put them in myself, you bastard! Of course I'd know who got it!"

"I still don't get it, Erika..." Akemi said thoughtfully. "Why extend the time we had?"

"I had no reason. Is that difficult to understand?" Erika answered.

"I guess I just don't really get the whole altruism angle." The astronomer replied. "Weren't you putting yourself at risk of getting murdered?"

"I prepared for that possibility, of course." The logician explained. "I requested Izanagi spend both nights in my room. I am sure he would have been able to handle anyone with the intention of killing me."

All eyes turned to Izanagi.

"I-I could not refuse...!" He protested. His shoulders were hunched so much of his face was obscured by the collar, but not enough to disguise the blush colouring his cheeks. "It's not like I slept in her room, I just kept watch...!"

"That's even worse..." Saito said flatly. "Did you just watch her sleep or something?"

"I had no time for that! I was keeping watch for intruders!" The violinist gave him a disbelieving look, but didn't pursue the subject. Shunari, however, did.

"Izanagi, I think she was messing with you..." The runner explained. "As long as she kept her door locked, no one would be able to get in."

"He was simply a backup, should a murderer find a loophole." Erika cut in swiftly. "One should always have a contingency plan."

"Say, isn't that kind of like putting all your eggs in one basket...?" Tomoe pointed out. "What if he tried to kill you?"

"Inconceivable." The logician replied. "I am an exceptional judge of character. By my calculations, Izanagi is statistically the least likely to commit murder." Out of the corner of his eyes, Kuroda noticed Izanagi looking rather pleased at Erika's remark.

"Yeah, but-"

Suddenly, Monokuma interrupted them. "Aah! I'm starting to despair, listening to you bastards talk when I've got work to do here! Go on, you bastards! Clear out!"

Obeying him, they all slowly filed into the elevator. There was little point in resisting, anyway - there was nothing left for them here, save for reminders of who had been lost.

As the elevator ascended, Kuroda looked back at the two picture stands that now sat alone in the empty courtroom. He hated to admit it, but he couldn't shake the feeling that wouldn't be the last they would see of them.

_Act One: END_

_Students Alive: __**14**_

* * *

**Welp, exploring the motive really fucked up the dialogue distribution. Why must you talk so much, Erika :p**

**Next chapter is (probably) the bonus chapter, but I'll start the voting for the next round of Room Time events now. Same deal as last time, pick one room from the list to visit:**

**- Pool**

**- (Male) Changing rooms**

**- Pool Entrance**

**- A/V Room**

**- Library**

**- 2F Classrooms**

**And if you care, tell me whether you prefer 'survivors' or 'students alive' for the death counter. I've been using survivors up until now, but I actually quite like the sound of the latter.**


End file.
